Gender Bias

Question 1

What is alpha bias?

Answer 1

When differences between females and males are exaggerated.

Question 2

What is beta bias?

Answer 2

When differences between females and males are minimised.

Question 3

What is androcentrism?

Answer 3

Where male behaviour is seen as the norm.

Question 4

What is estrocentrism?

Answer 4

Where female behaviour is seen as the norm.

Question 5

What are four ways psychological research displays gender bias?

Answer 5

• Unconsciously includes gender stereotypes.
• Early research used male university students as participants.
• Unconsciously treat female and male participants differently.
• Record behaviour that fits into the researcher’s ideas of how female and males should behaviour.

Question 6

What bias can create gender bias?

Answer 6

Publication bias.

Question 7

What is publication bias in regards to gender bias?

Answer 7

Research that displays differences between females and males is more likely to be published than research that displays no differences.

Question 8

What are three theories that display gender bias?

Answer 8

• Penis envy.
• Asch’s research into conformity.
• Psychological androgyny

Question 9

Who proposed penis envy?

Answer 9

Freud.

Question 10

Who proposed psychological androgyny?

Answer 10

Bem (1974).

Question 11

How does penis envy display gender bias?

Answer 11

Androcentric as it described male behaviour as the norm.

Question 12

How does Asch’s research into conformity display gender bias?

Answer 12

Androcentric as he used a male-only sample group.

Question 13

How does psychological androgyny display gender bias?

Answer 13

Beta bias as it states that both females and males can have both ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ qualities.

Question 14

How is the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia gender bias?

Answer 14

Androcentric as it is based on healthy males.

Question 15

What are the real world effects of gender bias?

Answer 15

• May lead to failure to challenge negative stereotypes.
• Validates discriminatory practice.
• Females may be denied opportunities based off biased research.

Question 16

What are the research effects of gender bias?

Answer 16

• Females are not appointed at senior research level, thus female concerns may not be reflected in the questions asked.
• Male researchers are more likely to have their work published, thus supporting a form of institutional sexism.