Lesson 2

• Systematic research


  Studying gender in a thorough and organised way, rather than relying on stereotypes and intuitions
• Existing research compares men and women only, which is a limitation which calls to expand the focus beyond female-male comparisons, or to abandon the use of binary comparisons
• Gender Norms


  Sets of beliefs and attitudes about what is considered appropriate for people of different genders
• Gender-Based Analysis (GBA)


  1. Helps us understand how gender norms influence research priorities

  2. Examines how assumptions or beliefs about gender shape or limit research outcomes and agendas
• Most psychological research was conducted by men and used men only. This meant that topics of women, trans, and non-binary were absent from psychological research, and research was gender masculine and generalized to everyone
• Moral Development research


  • Lawrence Kohlberg's research on moral dilemmas with male undergraduates at Harvard
  • Carol Gilligan's research on moral dilemmas with women, finding a different style of reasoning based on an ethic of care
• Maximalist Approach


  A tendency to emphasize differences between members of different sex groups and view them as qualitatively different
• Minimalist Approach


  A tendency to emphasize similarities between members of different sex groups
• Science


  A systematic, empirical way of investigating the world in order to identify rules and patterns in the way it works
• The Scientific Method


  1. Systematic studies to test theory-driven hypotheses or answer a research question about the study's outcome

  2. Data collection methods: primary and secondary

  3. Research designs: Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed-Methods

  
• Quantitative Studies


  • Allows researchers to convert variables of interest into numbers that can be submitted to statistical analyses
  • Dominant research paradigm in mainstream psychology
• True Experiments


  1. Involve manipulation of independent variables (IVs) to observe changes in dependent variables (DVs)

  2. Assign participants randomly to the manipulated and experimental control condition to help establish cause-and-effect relationships
• Correlational Studies


  Researchers test hypotheses about the strengths and direction or relations between pairs of continuous variables
• Longitudinal Design


  Researchers follow people over time and measure variables at multiple points
• Cross-Sectional Design


  Researchers measure variables at one point in time
• Qualitative Methods


  • In-depth interpretations of situations, focusing on individuals' experiences in context
  • Prioritizes depth, subjective interpretations, and contextualized understandings
• Case Studies


  An in-depth investigation of a single entity, person, group or event
• Interviews


  Involve asking participants (either individuals or groups) open-ended questions
• Focus Groups


  Interviews conducted in a group format and are often guided by a moderator
• Mixed Methods


  Combines both quantitative and qualitative research methods within a single study
• Literature Review


  Published materials that provide examination of recent or current literature
• Meta-Analyses


  Technique that statistically combines the results of several quantitative studies to provide a more precise effect of the results
• Researcher Bias


  Researchers behave in subtle ways that influence the outcome of a study
• Participant Bias


  Participants' responses are influenced by what they think the researcher expects
• Androcentrism


  The tendency to view men as the default for the species and women as exceptions in need of explanation
• Female Deficit Model


  Perceiving sex differences as arising from something that women lack
• Masculine Generic


  Using masculine pronouns (e.g., he) to refer to all people
• Lack of Intersectionality

  A form of sampling bias occurs when researchers sample solely to make male-female comparisons and ignore other relevant demographic variables
• Reflexivity


  Emphasizes the active role of researcher's values in shaping the design, findings, and interpretations in any study
• Scientific Positivism


  An orientation that emphasizes the scientific method and proposes that objective and value-free knowledge is attainable through empirical investigation
• The feminist critique of scientific positivism respects science as a process, but disagrees that it is entirely objective and value free
• Guidelines to Conduct Gender Fair Research

  • Work on eliminating sex bias from sampling and avoid using men as the standard
  • Use precise, non-gender-biased, non evaluative terminology in all stages of research
  • Should not exaggerate the prevalence and magnitude of sex differences
  • Not implying that sex differences are due to biological causes biological factors have not been properly tested
• Recommendations to Measure Gender

  • Increase diversity among professional ranks in academia and within research samples
  • Routinely measure and report demographic characteristics, expanding the number of demographic questions
  • Consider the contexts in which sex differences emerge and disappear, rather than generalizing sex differences to all people
  • Examine how structural inequalities and power differences associated with one's identity shape people's experiences
  • Adopt a holistic approach to understanding multiple identities by exploring structural inequalities and power differences