Issues and debates

• What is gender bias?

  Differential treatment based on stereotypes
• What are the consequences of alpha bias?

  Theories devalue one gender, often women
• What is alpha bias?

  Exaggerating differences between men and women
• How does Freud's theory relate to alpha bias?

  It suggests females are less moral than males
• What does Wilson’s sociobiological theory suggest about promiscuity?

  Males are genetically determined to be promiscuous
• Why are females considered more selective in mate choice?

  Limited supply of eggs and energy for reproduction
• What has been observed about schizophrenia diagnoses since the 1980s?

  More frequently diagnosed in men than women
• According to Cotton et al, why might women's symptoms of schizophrenia be overlooked?

  Women maintain relationships and show less distress
• What is androcentrism?

  Behavior compared to a male standard
• How does PMS relate to androcentrism?

  PMS is seen as trivializing female emotion
• What assumption does androcentrism lead to regarding gender?

  What is true for men is true for women
• What did Shelley Taylor's research challenge about stress responses?

  Only male samples are needed for research
• Why is the tend and befriend response adaptive?

  It ensures the survival of offspring
• What response do females produce during stress, according to Taylor?

  Tend and befriend response
• What are the implications of beta bias in psychological research?

  • Real differences between genders may be ignored
  • Research findings may not apply to both genders
  • Gender-specific behaviors may be misunderstood
• What is beta bias in psychology?

  A tendency to ignore gender differences
• How does beta bias affect research on men and women?

  It generalizes findings from men to women
• What was the issue with early research on the fight or flight response?

  It only used male lab mice
• Why were results from male lab mice generalized to females?

  To simplify the understanding of stress responses
• What moral dilemma was used in Kohlberg’s study?

  The Heinz dilemma
• What does universality in psychology aim to achieve?

  Theories that apply to all individuals
• What factors reduce the universality of psychological findings?

  Bias, lack of validity, and reliability issues
• What does feminist psychology argue about gender differences?

  • Differences arise from biological explanations
  • Social constructionism explains behavior through social processes
  • Stereotypes contribute more to perceived differences
• How can androcentrism be countered according to feminist psychology?

  By developing suitable training programs for women
• What did Eagly (1978) acknowledge about women as leaders?

  Women may be less effective leaders
• What bias can occur in research methods regarding gender?

  Gender bias may misinterpret differences
• What did Rosenthal (1966) find about male experimenters?

  They were more pleasant to female participants
• How does the appointment of women in research positions affect studies?

  It reflects female concerns in research questions
• What does Nicolson (1995) suggest about male researchers' views on women?

  They deem women as unreasonable and irrational
• What did Eagly and Johnson find about leadership styles in real settings?

  Men and women were judged as more similar
• What is reverse alpha bias in psychology?

  • Emphasizes women's strengths in research
  • Challenges stereotypes of male superiority
  • Highlights women's attentiveness and organization
• What did Cornwell et al (2013) find about women's learning abilities?

  Women are better at learning due to attentiveness
• How does reverse alpha bias challenge gender stereotypes?

  It shows women can excel in learning
• What is beta bias in psychology?

  It refers to overlooking gender differences.
• How has beta bias benefited women?

  It has increased their access to opportunities.
• What do Hare, Mustin, and Marecek argue about beta bias?

  It may disadvantage women by ignoring their needs.
• What biological demands are overlooked by equal parenting arguments?

  Pregnancy and childbirth needs of women.
• What does Darwin's theory of sexual selection suggest about women?

  Women are choosy in mate selection.
• How does Darwin's theory portray males in sexual selection?

  Males are competitive to be chosen by females.
• What evidence challenges Darwin's view of female behavior?

  Women can be equally competitive when needed.