Gender bias

• Psychologists seek universality, but bias may be inevitable.
• Psychologists possess beliefs and values influenced by the social and historical context within which they live. This may undermine psychologists' claims to discover facts about human behaviour that are objective, value-free and consistent across time and culture (universality).
• One form of bias is gender bias: psychological theory and research may not accurately represent the experience and behaviour of men and women
• Alpha bias exaggerates differences
• Alpha bias:

  • Differences between the sexes are usually presented as real, enduring, fixed and inevitable
  • These differences occasionally heighten the value of women but are more likely to devalue females in relation to males
• What is an example of alpha bias?


  Wilson's sociological theory of relationship formation
• Sociological theory of relationships (alpha bias):

  • Wilson explained human sexual attraction through 'survival efficiency'- its in a males interests to try and impregnate as many females as possible to increase the chances of his genes being passed on
  • Female's best chance to preserve her genes is to ensure the survival of the relatively few offspring she may produce
  • Sexual promiscuity in males is naturally selected and genetically determined but females to engage in the same behaviour are seen as going against their nature- an exaggeration of the difference between the sexes
• Beta bias minimises differences
• Beta bias:

  Ignoring or underestimating differences between men and women often occurs when female participants are not included in the research process and it is assumed that research findings apply equally to both sexes
• What is an example of beta bias?


  The fight or flight response
• Fight or flight response (beta bias):

  • Early research into fight or flight was based exclusively on male animals (preferred for research because female hormones fluctuate). This fight or flight response was assumed to be a universal response to a threatening situation
  • Taylor et al. suggest female biology has evolved to inhibit the fight or flight response, shifting attention towards caring for offspring (tending) and forming defensive networks with other females (befriending). Females exhibit a tend and befriend response governed by the hormone oxytocin.
• What is a consequence of beta bias?


  androcentrism
• Androcentrism:

  • If our understanding of 'normal' behaviour comes from research involving all-male samples, then any behaviour that deviates from this standard is judged as 'abnormal' or 'inferior'
  • This leads to female behaviour being misunderstood and even patholoigsed (taken as a sign of illness)
• Example of androcentrism: PMS

  • Many feminists object tot he category of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) because it medicates female emotions (e.g. anger) by explaining these in hormonal terms. But male anger is often seen as a rational response to external pressures.
• Evaluation: problems of gender bias in research

  Gender-bias research may create misleading assumptions about female behaviour and validate discriminatory practices. It may provide a scientific justification to deny women opportunities within the workplace or in wider society (e.g. because of PMS). Gender bias in research is not just a methodological problem but may have damaging consequences which affect the lives and prospects of real women
• Evaluation: promotes sexism in the research process

  A lack of women at senior research level means female concerns may not be reflected in research questions asked. Male researchers are more likely to have work published. Also, female participants in lab studies are in an inequitable relationship with a (usually male) researcher who has the power to label them irrational and unable to complete complex tasks. This means psychology may be guilty of supporting a form of institutional sexism that creates bias in theory and research
• Evaluation: feminist psychologists propose how bias can be avoided

  Worell and Remer suggest criteria researchers can follow to avoid gender bias. Women should be studied within meaningful real-life contexts, and genuinely participate in research instead of being objects of study. Also, diversity in groups of women should be studied, rather than comparisons made between women and men. Finally there would be a greater emphasis on collaborative research methods that collect qualitative data. This way of doing research may be preferable, and less gender-biased, than laboratory-based research
• Evaluation: understanding of gender bias leads to reflectivity

  Researchers propose the effect of their values on their work (reflexivity). They embrace bias as an important part of the research process rather than a problem threatening the objective status of their work. In their study the lack of women in executive positions, Dambrin and Lambert include reflection on how their gender-related experiences influence their understanding of events. Such reflexivity is an important development in psychology and may lead to greater awareness of the role of personal bias in shaping future research.