gender

• Beta bias in psychological research


  • Differences between genders are minimised, leading to invalid theories (e.g. fight or flight theory not applying to females)
• Androcentrism

  Behaviour is judged to be normal when compared to a male standard, leading to female behaviour being judged as 'deficient' or 'abnormal'
• Gender bias in psychological research can impact on females' lives by presenting scientific justification for denying them opportunities in the workplace and society
• Alpha bias


  Gender bias that exaggerates differences between sexes, presenting them as real and fixed
• Alpha bias


  • Differences between sexes are more likely to devalue women in relation to males
• Beta bias

  Gender bias that minimises differences between sexes, often occurs when female participants are not included in the sample and findings are assumed to apply to both sexes
• Consequence of beta bias

  Androcentrism - understanding of 'normal' behaviour comes from research involving all-male samples, then behaviour that deviates from this standard is seen as 'abnormal' or 'inferior'
• Example of Alpha Bias:


   Wilson (1975) - Sociobiological theory of relationship formation.

  • sexual promiscuity in males is genetically determined whilst female promiscuity is going against their ‘nature’.
  • This exaggeration of the differences between males and females is Alpha bias.
• Example of alpha bias:


  • Critics claim that PMS is a social construction that pathologises female emotions, especially anger, by explaining it in hormonal terms.
  • Male anger, however, is explained by external pressures
• Gender bias


  The differential treatment or representation of men and women based on stereotypes rather than real difference
• Alpha bias


  A tendency to exaggerate differences between men and women, suggesting that there are real and enduring differences between the two sexes
• Androcentrism

  The consequence of beta bias and occurs when all behaviour is compared according to a 'male' standard, often to the neglect or exclusion of women
• Example of Beta Bias:


  Fight and flight response:

  • Early research was based exclusively on male animals (female hormones fluctuate)
  • assumed to be a universal response to a threatening situation. 
• Example of beta bias:

  Taylor (2000) suggests that female biology has evolved to inhibit the fight or flight response, shifting attention towards the offspring (tending) and forming defensive networks with other females (befriending).
• Kohlberg Vs Gilligan - androcentrism

  • Kohlberg proposed a theory of moral development based entirely on the longitudinal study of a sample of American men.
  • based on male-oreintated principles - though he argued such principles were universal
  • Gilligan attacked Kohlberg for the absence of female participants within his research.
• Gilligan


  Found moral differences in sex:

  • male = justice focused
  • females = care focused

  One is not better than the other. Fight or flight is not better than tend and befriend so suggests both sexes can benefit
• Feminist interpretations - pro

  Eagly - found women less capable leaders so feminists view this as able to build leadership programmes

  Can alter discriminatory research into aiding gender equality.
• Sexism in the research process

  • lack of senior women at research level = underrepresentation of women's concerns
  • more publications done by males
• Rosenthal 


  Male experimenters are more pleasant to female pps = better performance in female pps than males

  • not representative of normal sex differences
• Socially sensitive


  misleading research findings validate discriminatory practices:

  PMS - trivialised anger supports women not being fit for the workplace
• Macoby + Jacklin


  Girls = superior at verbal tasks

  boys = superior at spatial tasks

  COUNT: Joel et al - brain scans found this untrue