gender bias

• gender bias

  • psychological research or theory may offer a view that does not correctly represent the experience and behaviour of men or women
• androcentrism

  when 'normal' behaviour is judged according to a male standard
• alpha bias

  research that focuses on differences between men + women and tends to present a view that exaggerates these differences
• beta bias

  research that focuses on similarities between men and women and tends to present a view that ignores or minimises differences
• universality

  any characteristic of humans that is capable of being applied to all
• examples of alpha bias

  • psychodynamic explanations for offending behaviour
  • schizophrenia has been diagnosed in men more frequently than women
• example of androcentrism

  • PMS medicalises human emotion - particularly anger
  • male anger is seen as a logical response to external pressures
• examples of beta bias

  • fight or flight response - early research on male mice as they experience fewer hormonal fluctuations so changes in adrenaline levels could be more reliably measured
  • Kohlberg's levels of moral reasoning was developed based on American males
• strength - awareness

  awareness of gender bias leads to better understanding of the problems which can influence how a study is conducted
• limitation - promotes sexism in research

  • researchers are more likely to be men which may disadvantage women participants
  • findings may be gender biased
• limitation - gender-biased research

  • research that challenges gender bias may not be published
  • researchers found it is published less often and has less funding
  • not taken seriously