Gender and Culture bias

Question 1

What does WEIRD stand for ?

Answer 1

Western
Educated
Industrialised
Rich
Democratic societies.

Question 2

What is bias?

Answer 2

It happens when a psychologists pre-existing beliefs/viewpoints influence their theories/data interpretation.

Question 3

Where can this bias stem from?

Answer 3

Personal experiences
Cultural background
Education
Political beliefs
Gender-related experiences

Question 4

What is the issue with bias?

Answer 4

Research tends to be generalised to the understanding of all human behaviour.

However this has been shaped by the researchers perspectives/misconceptions. (May not be valid)

Question 5

What is gender bias ?

Also known as Androcentricism

Answer 5

Researchers stereotypical views about female/male behaviour will affect their assumptions.

This leads to misrepresentations of actual behaviours.

(Incorrectly assuming gender differences)
(Overlooking gender differences)

Question 6

What is Cultural bias?

Answer 6

Interpreting human behaviour based on findings from one culture’s norms/values.

This can come from an ethnocentric perspective

Question 7

What is an ethnocentric perspective ?

Answer 7

Where researchers view their culture as superior/the standard.

Ignoring other cultures leading to a misrepresentation.
Research may not be generalisable to human behaviour.

Question 8

What is universality ?

Answer 8

The assumption that observed behaviours apply to all humans regardless of personal differences.
(Gender-Culture-biological)

Alot of psychologists often discover a behaviour an claim it applies to everyone.

Question 9

What is the problem with assuming something can be universalised ?

Answer 9

If a researchers hypothesis is tested on a non-diverse sample then the claim that it applies to all is an assumption and cannot be generalised.

Question 10

What is an example of a behaviour that is truly universalised ?

Answer 10

Laughter
Reasons for finding something funny can change by culture but it is produced by speakers of all languages in all different societies.

(Babies can laugh before they can speak)
(Not learnt but is innate)

Question 11

What is one reason why some psychological research cannot be universalised?

Answer 11

Multiple participants in studies are WEIRD

These studies tend to have a sampling bias with many being opportunity samples making most participants western psychology students.

(A lot of research is conducted in the UK/US)

Question 12

What is gender bias ?

(Androcentrism) (Androcentric)

Answer 12

Theories/Psychologists reflect and support a male-centric view of the world.

More psychologists that developed the theories were male. (Freud)

The imbalance can be seen when learning about psychology. (More male psychologists referenced)

Question 13

The spec has upto 32 males and only 4 females
There are none who are not of white european descent.

Answer 13

Males
Zimbardo - Social influence
Asch - Social influence

Harlow - Attachment
Lorenz- Attachment

Pavlov- Behaviourist - Classic conditioning
Skinner - Behaviourists - Operant conditioning

Females
Mary Ainsworth - Attachment
Sandra Bem - Gender

Question 14

What are the 2 kinds of bias in regards to gender ?

Answer 14

Alpha bias
Beta bias

Question 15

What is Alpha bias?

Answer 15

Assumption that there are differences in behaviour between genders.

Exaggeration of these differences

Question 16

What is Beta bias?

Answer 16

Assumption that there are not differences in behaviour between genders.

Underestimating/minimising actual behavioural differences.

Question 17

What is an example of Alpha Bias

Bowlby

Answer 17

Bowlby’s monotropic theory - Attachment

Over emphasise the role of the mother in infants development over the father’s role.

Bias likely caused by the time it was created which would have impacted views of gender roles.
(1950s) - Lack temporal validity

Problem is that it would have made families who were not traditional to feel inadequate.

Question 18

What is an example of Beta bias?

Milgram - original study - Obedience study
Asch’s - conformity study

Answer 18

Included only male participants
Focus on obedience to male authority figures.
Overlooking responses females may have had.

Asch’s study only included male participants

(Sample bias)

Question 19

What did the use of male samples in Milgram and Asch’s study ignore?

Answer 19

The possibility of gender-specific differences.

Influenced by societal norms of the time
(A belief that male subjects would result in more generalisable results)

Question 20

What is an example of a theory that has beta bias?

Answer 20

The psychodynamic approach
Freud only spoke about boys in his ideas about the unconscious mind.

Question 21

What is culture bias?

Answer 21

When human behaviour is interpreted/judged only from one culture’s norms/values/experiences.

May not apply to people outside of that culture.

(Individualist cultures vs Collectivist cultures)

Question 22

What could culture bias effect ?

Answer 22

How we diognose people with different disorders

E.G. - Schizophrenia/Aggression
Schizophrenia - Some cultures it is normal to hear voices seen as ancestors speaking to them.

Aggression - In some cultures people may shout more (caribbean) but not mean they are aggressive.

Question 23

What is a category failure?

Answer 23

Western definitions of mental health are inappropriately applied to non-western populations.

In west indies normal to hear voices
In Uk not normal

Question 24

What is ethnocentrism ?

Answer 24

Researchers think their own culture is superior to another and so use it as a standard.

Question 25

What is an example of an ethnocentric study?

Answer 25

Mary Ainsworth - Strange situation Developed in an American context Secure attachment was the most desirable outcome. This is most common in individualistic Western societies. Prime example of Imposed etic

Question 26

What is imposed etic?

Answer 26

Researchers cultural norms are assumed to be applicable as a standard for other cultures.

Question 27

What made Ainsworth's study ethnocentric ?

Answer 27

Different cultural norms can influence an infants behaviour in the assessment. Labelling these behaviours as 'insecure' based on a western standard is ethnocentric. German = Insecure avoidant Japan = Insecure-resistant UK = Secure

Question 28

What is cultural relativism ?

Answer 28

The idea that human behaviour should be understood within the context of the specific culture where it occurs. Acknowledges behaviours deemed normal in one culture may be different in another. Emphasis on understanding/respecting cultural differences.