GENDER BIAS Flashcards
(29 cards)
what is universality
any underlying characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to all, despites differences in experience and upbringing. regardless of time and culture
gender bias conflict with universality
gender bias undermines universality as human behaviour is shaped as a result of social and historical context and so how the genders act may be different based on this
what is gender bias
treating one individual or a group in a different way from others. psychological research or theory may offer a view that does not justifiably represent the experience and behaviour of men/women
what are the 3 types of gender bias
alpha bias, beta bias, androcentrism
what is alpha bias
exaggerates or overestimates the difference between the genders
how are differences presented in alpha bias
real, enduring, fixed, inevitable
negative effect of alpha bias
tends to devalue females in relation to their male counterparts
what theory is an example of gender bias
sociobiological theory of relationship formation
who proposed sociobiological theory of relationship formation
wilson
how does sociobiological theory explain human sexual attraction
‘survival efficiency’ - it is in the male’s interest to impregnate as many women as possible to increase the chances of his genes being passed onto the next generation WHEREAS the female should ensure the healthy survival of the few offspring she has
central premise of sociobiological theory
sexual promiscuity in males is justified and genetically determined whereas females who engage in the same behaviour are shunned!
famous research/approach which demonstrates alpha bias
freud!
how does freud support alpha bias
a girl does not experience castration anxiety in the phallic stage of psychosexual development therefore is not under the same pressure as a boy to form an identification with the same-sex parent. this has implications for the development of the superego and suggests that the girl forms a weaker superego and so her sense of morality is inferior to that of a male counterpart
ALSO, he explained female vanity as a defence mechanism: women wish to make up for their sexual inferiority to men by focusing on their ‘physical charms’
what is beta bias
ignores, minimises or underestimates differences between men and women
when does beta bias often occur
when women are not apart of the research process
what biological process can be accused of beta bias
fight or flight
why is fight or flight beta bias
early research into was conducted using solely male animals since female hormones fluctuate - and so the response was assumed to be universal in response to a threatening stimulus
what has recent research said about the fight or flight response
taylor - female biology has evolved to inhibit the fight or flight response INSTEAD adopt a tend-and-befriend response
famous studys that can be accused of beta bias
asch and milgram - all male samples yet results universalised!
name a possible consequence of beta bias
androcentrism
what is androcentrism
if our understanding of what counts as ‘normal’ behaviour is being drawn from research that involves all male-samples, then any behaviour that deviates from this standard is likely to be judged as abnormal, inferior and deficient by comparison
what can androcentrism lead to for women
female behaviour can be misunderstood and pathologised! can be taken as a sign of mental instability or disorder
androcentrism example
PMS
who objects to pms
feminist commentators
