Gender Bias Flashcards
(26 cards)
What does it mean that psychologists hold beliefs influenced by their social and historical context?
Psychologists - like everyone - hold beliefs and values that have been influenced by the social and historical context within which they live. These beliefs may be biased, that is leaning towards a subjective view that does not necessarily reflect objective reality.
Why is bias in psychology research a problem for claims of universality?
Bias in the research process may be inevitable, despite psychologists claims about discovering ‘facts’ that are objective and value-free. Bias also undermines psychology’s claims to universality - that conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, anywhere, regardless of time or culture.
What are the two forms of gender bias in psychology?
Gender bias comes in two forms - alpha bias and beta bias.
What is alpha bias in psychological research?
Psychological research that exaggerates differences is alpha-biased. Such differences are typically presented as fixed and inevitable. Sometimes these differences heighten the value of women, but more often they devalue women in relation to men.
What is an example of alpha bias from Freud’s theory?
Freud’s (1905) theory of psychosexual development says during the phallic stage boys develop strong castration anxiety resolved by identifying with their father, but girls’ identification with their mother is weaker, making their Superego weaker. Therefore girls/women are morally inferior to boys/men.
How can alpha bias sometimes favour women?
Nancy Chodorow (1968) suggested daughters and mothers have greater connectedness due to biological similarities, so women develop better abilities to bond with others and empathise.
What is beta bias in psychological research?
Psychological research that ignores or underestimates differences is beta-biased. This happens when we assume that research findings apply equally to men and women even when women have been excluded.
What example shows beta bias in fight or flight research?
Early fight or flight research used male animals ignoring hormonal changes in females, assuming both sexes respond the same. Shelley Taylor et al. (2000) described the tend and befriend response in women involving oxytocin, reducing fight or flight and increasing nurturing behaviours.
How has beta bias misrepresented men in attachment research?
Some attachment research assumed emotional care is solely from mothers, but studies show fathers can provide emotional care too.
What is androcentrism in psychology?
Alpha bias and beta bias result from androcentrism - psychology’s male-dominated view of the world, produced by men, for men, about men.
What evidence shows psychology’s androcentric perspective?
The American Psychological Association’s list of 100 most influential psychologists of the 20th century included only six women.
How have women’s behaviours been pathologised due to androcentrism?
Women’s behaviours, like anger, have been medicalised as illnesses (e.g. premenstrual syndrome), whereas men’s anger is seen as rational (Brescoll and Uhlmann 2008).
What is a limitation of alpha bias regarding biological explanations?
Gender differences are often presented as fixed and enduring (alpha bias) when they might not be.
What did Maccoby and Jacklin (1974) conclude about gender differences?
They concluded girls have superior verbal ability, boys better spatial ability, suggesting these are hardwired before birth.
What contradictory evidence did Daphna Joel et al. (2015) find?
Joel found no sex differences in brain structure or processing using brain scanning.
What does the contradictory evidence about brain differences suggest?
We should be wary of accepting research findings as biological facts when they might be better explained as social stereotypes.
What is a counterpoint regarding biological gender differences?
Madura Ingalhalikar et al. (2014) found women’s brains may have better connections between hemispheres, supporting the stereotype that women multitask better.
What caution is advised despite evidence of biological differences?
We should avoid exaggerating the effect these biological differences have on behaviour.
How does sexism appear in psychological research?
Women are underrepresented in university science departments; male lecturers are more common (Murphy et al. 2014).
How does sexism impact research outcomes?
Male researchers may expect women to be irrational (Nicolson 1995), causing women to underperform in studies.
What is a problem with publishing research on gender bias?
Research on gender bias is funded less, published in less prestigious journals, and less noticed than research on other biases (Formanowicz et al. 2018).
What is the consequence of less published gender bias research?
Fewer scholars become aware of or apply findings on gender bias, so it’s not taken as seriously as other biases.
What is a limitation of biological explanations of gender differences?
Point: Gender differences are often presented as fixed and enduring (alpha bias), but this may not be true. Evidence: Eleanor Maccoby and Carol Jacklin (1974) found girls have superior verbal ability and boys better spatial ability, suggesting these are ‘hardwired’ before birth. Daphna Joel et al. (2015) found no sex differences in brain structure or processing. Explain: Some findings may reflect social stereotypes, not biology. Link: We should be cautious accepting biological explanations when social ones fit better.
What counterpoint exists to the idea that gender differences are social stereotypes?
Point: Some biological gender differences exist. Evidence: Madura Ingalhalikar et al. (2014) found women’s brains have better inter-hemisphere connections. Explain: This supports some biological gender differences. Link: But we should avoid exaggerating these differences’ impact on behaviour.
