Gender in Psychology

• Define gender universality.

  The idea that there are behaviours that occur in both men and women due to the same explanation. E.g. the dopamine hypothesis for schizophrenia suggests that too much dopamine activity can result in schizophrenic symptoms, regardless of whether you are male or female.
• Define gender bias.

  Gender bias refers to when research does not represent the behaviour of either men or women. This lead to the behaviour of that gender to be misrepresented.
• Define an example of gender bais.

  Alpha bias = Gender differences are over-exaggerated i.e. men and women are proposed to behave very differently when they may not.
• Define an example of gender bias.

  Beta bias = Gender differences are minimised or ignored i.e. men and women are proposed to behave the same/similarly when they may not.
• Define an example of gender bias.

  Androcentrism = When research uses all male samples and so male behaviour is considered the norm. If female behaviour differs, it is considered abnormal.
• Give an example of alpha bias.

  Freud argued that girls have weaker superegos than boys. This is because they lack castration anxiety so they are under less pressure to identify with their same-sex parent and internalise their superego. As the superego is responsible for moral behaviour, a weaker one would result in females committing more crimes. However, there is no evidence from crime or prison statistics to suggest that girls have a weaker superego. This means that Freud over-exaggerated gender differences.
• Give an example of beta bias.

  The fight or flight response proposes that everybody reacts to danger by either fighting it or running away/flight. However, research has found the females tend to engage in a different response i.e. the tend and befriend response. This means that, rather than fight or flighting, they tend to look after their offspring and try to form alliances with others. This means that fight or flight research ignored these gender differences.
• Give an example of androcentrism.

  Research into aggression has involved all-male samples so our understanding of aggression has come from how males react. Males and females tend to show differences in aggression e.g. males react aggressively to external events (e.g. being provoked) while females show aggression to internal events (e.g. hormonal changes). This has resulted in the aggression seen in females being viewed as irrational, as it deviates from how males show aggression. This means that male aggressive behaviour is considered the norm.
• Identify a way of reducing alpha bias.

  Use both men and women research. This will ensure the researcher does not study one gender and then inaccurately predicts that the other gender would behave very differently.
• Identify a way of reducing alpha bias.

  Consider gender universality whereby men and women are viewed as more similar than they are different. This will help to ensure the researcher does not inaccurately assume that males and females are very different.
• Identify a way of reducing bet bias.

  Use both men and women in research. This will ensure that the researcher does not study one gender and then inaccurately predicts that the other gender would behave the same.
• Identify a way of reducing beta bias.

  If studying one gender, clearly state the conclusions of the study only apply to that gender. This will prevent people from generalising the results to everyone i.e. incorrectly assuming the other gender would behave the same way.
• Identify a way of reducing androcentrism.

  Use more females in psychological research. This will ensure that samples do not just consist of men and so male behaviour would not be considered the norm.
• Identify a way of reducing androcentrism.

  Take a feminist approach to psychological research whereby women are viewed as normal rather than deficient men.
• Evaluate gender bias: negative applications when it comes to treating psychological disorders. 


  This is because research into drug therapies has typically involved male animals and then male participants, despite the drugs later being given to both males and females. This is a limitation because it has resulted in some drugs being less effective for females and/or producing more negative side effects and overdoses in female patients. This shows how beta bias (ignoring or minimising gender differences) can lead to problems when developing treatments for both genders.
• Evaluate gender bias: resulted in changes to try and reduce it.


  They ensure their sample equally represents both men and women and, if they do only use one gender, they emphasise that their conclusions only apply to that gender. This is a strength because it has helped to reduce androcentrism. The use of samples that equally represent males and females have also helped to reduce alpha bias and beta bias. This is because it prevents researchers from using one gender and then incorrectly assuming that the other gender would have behaved the same or very differently.
• Evaluate gender bias: remains an issue in Psychology.


  Institutional sexism means that women are less likely to be in senior research positions. This is a limitation because it means that research topics within psychology tend to neglect female-related topics (e.g. effect of the menopause on female psychological health). Psychological research is more likely to be published if it finds significant differences in the behaviour of men and women. This is a limitation because it has resulted in society continuing to over-exaggerate

  gender differences.