gender bias L1

• what is alpha bias?

  • occurs when a theory assumes there is a real and enduring difference between males and females
  • there is a tendency to exaggerate the differences between men and women and therefore devalue one gender
• what is an example of alpha bias?

  Freud's theories reflected the culture in which he lived, where men were more powerful and typically more educated. Consequently, Freud's theory of psychoanalysis viewed femininity as a form of failed masculinity and it exaggerated the differences between men and women - an alpha bias
• what is beta bias?

  occurs when a theory ignores or minimises the differences between males and females
• what is an example of beta bias?

  biological psychologists examining the fight-or-flight response typically conduct research using male animals. However, recent research shows that female produce a 'tend and befriend' response at times of stress (Taylor et al. 2000). This beta-biased approach meant that female behaviour went undiscovered and that stress response was not fully understood in women until recently.
• what is androcentrism?

  Psychology is a male-dominated subject and, historically, almost all psychologists were men. Consequently, many psychological theories represent a male point of view, which is known as androcentrism.
• what is one of the main aims of psychology?

  to produce theories that have universality and apply to all people
• A03: Feminist psychology aims to redress gender bias...

  • feminist psychology agrees that there are real biologically based sex differences, but socially determined stereotypes make a far greater contribution to perceived differences.
  • a perquisite to any social change must be a revision of our 'facts' about gender that perpetuate our beliefs about women.
  • so feminist psychology seeks to understand behaviour in terms of social processes and thus find a way to greater equality.
• A03: A limitation of this debate is that research methods can be seen to be biased…

  • It may not be that males and females are different, but that the methods used to test or observe them are biased.
  • For example, Rosenthal (1966) found that male experimenters are more pleasant, friendly, and encouraging to female pps than to male pps. The result was that male pps appeared to perform less well on the tasks assigned.
  • This means that there are serious issues with the way data is collected, which creates a false picture of male and female differences.
• A03: avoiding beta bias...

  • On the one hand, the beta bias promotes equal treatment and has allowed women for greater access to a range of opportunities.
  • However, it also draws attention away from important differences, for example the biological demands of pregnancy and childbirth.
  • Therefore, according to Hare-Mustin and Matrecek (1988), we should avoid beta bias to ensure that notable differences are taken into consideration.