gender

• 3 types of gender bias that limits universality:

  • Androcentrism
  • Alpha bias
  • Beta bias
• Gender bias

  When research offers a view that does not represent the experience and behaviour of either men or women.

  Feminist psychologists argue that psychology has been built on the biased research of male psychologists and has been shaped to uphold male superiority.
• Beta bias

  • Mispresent behaviour as they ignore or minimise the differences between men and women. Important aspects of female experiences are ignored, so limits any conclusions drawn.
  • occurs when female ppt are not included in a sample and assumed the findings can apply to both equally.
  • E.g. fight/flight response early research is on male animals.
• Alpha bias

  • Exaggerates differences between males and females, serving to reinforce gender stereotypes and usually devalue women as women not seen as 'the norm'
  • E.g. relationships (Buss) males seek young and attractive in a parent, whereas women seek a man with resources(high paid jobs) reinforcing gender stereotypes
• Androcentrism

  • A male centered view of behaviour
  • Research based on males only, used as standard norm, any behaviour that deviates from this is seen as abnormal. Female behaviour is undesirable, misunderstood.
  • Topic - research into conformity (Asch) was conducted on sample of males, then generalised to both sexes, therefor if females conformed more than 37% of the time they would be seen as abnormal
• A03

  • alpha bias provides scientific justification for gender stereotypes,
  • gender bias is emphasised by the research process
  • androcentric research does not always mean gender bias