I&D: Gender bias

• Universality = when a theory applies to all people, irrespective of gender and culture
• Bias = undermines universality; when the psychologists beliefs affect a theory/outcome of a study
• Androcentric = male bias e.g. men's behaviour provides the standard against which women's behaviour is compared
• Alpha bias = Differences between men and women are exaggerated
• Beta bias = differences between men and women are ignored
• Example of alpha bias: Bowlby

  • Bowlby's monotropic theory was that infants have only one preferred person, who is always their mother; the father's role being to support her emotionally and financially
• Example of beta bias: Social influence

  • Milgram and Asch used all male samples to investigate obedience and conformity respectively
• Evaluation of alpha bias:

  • alpha bias has socially sensitive implications
  • may promote ideas that are hurtful and can lead to danger if females are seen as inferior to men
  • e.g. stereotypes such as women being submissive homemakers may be reinforced by concentrating on the biological differences to men
  • :(
• Evaluation of alpha bias:

  • research influenced by alpha bias has been used by Feminist psychologists
  • positive implications + practical applications as it can be used to lower the gap between men and women
  • Eagly acknowledged women may be less effective leaders than men but this should be used to develop training programmes for women
  • :)
• Evaluation of beta bias:

  • socially sensitive implications
  • government has used research to improve differences between men and women
  • law has been changed to ensure that women have greater occupational and educational opportunities
  • :)
• Evaluation of beta bias:

  • ignores that women have some unique needs
  • sometimes it's important to identify differences
  • e.g. equal parental leave ignores the demands of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding
  • :(
• Evaluation of all bias:

  • leads us to believe that all men and women are the same as each other
  • biased research ignores individual differences
  • e.g. class, culture, IQ, age
  • :(