Gender Bias (Issue)

• Universality

  Characteristics of humans that are assumed to apply to every, so in this case, all genders
• Gender Bias

  Tendency to treat one individual or group differently to others based on their gender. In psychology, this can be expressed through a theory or research that may not fairly represent the behaviour or experience of one gender
• Alpha bias

  Exaggerates differences between genders, which creates stereotypes
• Beta bias

  Ignores differences between genders, so applies male research to females for example. Leads to one gender being ignored
• Androcentrism

  Male-centred. Normal behaviour is judged according to a 'male standard'. Leads to female behaviour being misunderstood
• Avoiding gender bias

  Researchers need to be aware and acknowledge potential unconscious bias
• Example of alpha bias

  Freud’s psychosexual stages (His theory that girls do not experience castration anxiety during the phallic stage means that they do not have as much pressure to identify with the same-sex parent, leading to weaker moral/gender development)
• Example of beta bias

  Classification of SZ (Assumes both genders with SZ demonstrate the same symptoms, when in reality, women with SZ tend to be higher functioning and so their symptoms can be missed, which may lead to under-diagnosis, reflected in higher prevalence rates for males and older age of onset for females)
• Gender Bias - Strength

  Gilligan said alpha bias research that focuses on women asserts the worth and value of feminine qualities, and has also led to healthy criticism of male qualities such as aggression. Beta bias has also led to equal treatment (egalitarian approach) in legal terms and equal access to education, etc… Demonstrates how psychological research has ethical implications
• Gender Bias - Strength

  Has led to the development of feminist psychology. This aims to prevent gender bias by encouraging more women to go into the research process. As well as this, women are now studied more
• Gender Bias - Weakness

  Has led to enduring sexism within the research process. Psychology is still predominantly male at senior research level. Men account for 60% of journal articles editors. This means that female concerns may not be represented in the research question, and female behaviour may be misinterpreted. As well as this, there is publishing bias towards significant results (those that find gender differences). Leads to (institutional) sexism and questions the validity of research conducted by males, on males, that has been universally applied to everyone
• Gender Bias - Weakness

  Can be used unethically and as a form of social control. Walkerdine reported how research in the 1930s showed that intellectual activity shrivelled women’s ovaries. This is an essentialist account (politically motivated argument disguised as biological fact)