Gender bias

• Gender bias in psychological research refers to the difference in treatment or representations of males and females based on stereotypes
• Androcentrism is the concept where male behavior is normalized and deviations from this are seen as abnormal or inferior, potentially leading to female behavior being viewed as irrational
• Alpha bias exaggerates the differences between the sexes with negative inclinations towards women, such as the sociobiological theory proposing sexual promiscuity for men to pass on offspring, while females engaging in similar behaviors are seen as going against the order of nature
• Beta bias minimizes or ignores differences between the sexes, like the development of the fight or flight response being based on male-only observation and research, which was then applied to females, although research by Taylor et al. found women lean towards a tend and befriend response
• Recognizing gender bias in research allows for proposing solutions to reduce it, with some psychologists developing theories emphasizing the importance and value of women, like Cornwell et al. noting that females are better at learning due to being more attentive and organized
• Gender bias in research can have negative implications, such as alpha bias leading to misleading assumptions of female behavior and potentially devaluing women, impacting their opportunities in the workplace
• Sexism and decreased regard for women's issues in gender-biased research can lead to neglect of female concerns in studies, especially in male-dominated research spaces, posing a threat to the welfare and progression of women in research
• Reflexivity in research acknowledges biases like gender bias, allowing researchers to consider its influence on variables and overall research studies, leading to greater awareness and more valid psychological research
• Gender-biased research has led to the development of feminist psychology, aiming to restore the imbalance in psychological theories and research between the sexes by studying psychology for women rather than a psychology of women, reducing institutionalized gender bias and advancing research into under-researched fields