issues and debates Flashcards
(67 cards)
what is gender bias
the differential treatment of male and females based on stereotypes not real differences
what is androcentrism
centred or focused on men
male behaviours and perspectives are considered the norm and female behaviour is viewed as a deviation or lesser version
what does gender bias and androcentrism lead to
alpha or beta bias
what is alpha bias and what are some examples in such research
theories that exaggerate the differences between males and females - devalues one gender
FREUD
- women are failed men
- penis envy- identity confusion
- women have weaker superegos
- makes them morally inferior
BOWLBY
- monotropy had to be female
- mothers have an innate bio predisposition to be primary caregiver
- overlooked role of father
- maternal dep blames mother
SZ MOTHER
SZ BROVERMAN- women mentally unhealthy men mentally healthy
ROLE OF HORMONES- testosterone and aggression
what is beta bias and what are examples of this in psychological research
theories that minimise or ignore the differences between male and females
often assume that findings from male samples can be applied to females
FIGHT OR FLIGHT
-carried out with male animals
- assumed response would be the same with females
- later found to tend and befriend more likely to protect offspring and form alliances with other women
- no understanding of female behaviour
SOCIAL INFLUENCE ASCH
- research into conformity
- 123 male usa
- assumed research could be applied to females
(milgram and zimbardo also)
KOHLBERG THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
- based on male ppts
- ignore moral reasoning differences
LOCUS OF CONTROL
what is universality
-what is desired
- idea that psychological theories and findings apply to all humans regardless of culture social or bio difference
- if it is gender bias it is not universal
- historically research is not universal
what is the strength of identifying gender bias
identifying it as an issue has allowed psychologists to put forward a number of solutions to promote equality
- feminist psychology aims to redress the imbalances of research to counter androcentrism
- feminist psychologists like worrell have put forward a number of criteria that should be adhered to to avoid gender bias
- women should be studied with meaningful real life contexts and genuinely participate in research rather than being objects of a study
- diversity within women should also be examined
- has allowed positive changes and allowed females to progress further
what are the weaknesses of gender bias
NEGATIVE IMPLACATIONS
- created misleading assumptions about female behaviour
- many instances where negative female stereotypes have been validated and not challenged
- validated discriminatory practices
- provided justification to deny women opportunities within workplaces or in wider society
- not just methodological problem but damaging consequences too
CAN WORK AGAINST MALES TOO
- there are alpha biased theories that heighten the value of women
- often seen as more caring
- eg bowlby
- male mental health and toxic masculinity
- can have impact on diagnosis often either over diagnosed or not diagnosed enough
what is cultural bias
A tendency to judge all people in terms of ones own cultural assumptions
much of traditional psych represents a western bias
research methods as well as theories
what is ethnocentrism
seeing the world only from ones own culture perspective and believing this perspective is the norm and correct - superiority
what is imposed etic
applying a concept, test or theory made for one culture onto another
eg dsm and strange situation
what is cultural relativism
insists that behaviour can only be understood if the cultural context is taken into consideration -
this helps to avoid cultural bias
what are the two main examples of cultural bias in psych and why are these biased
Ainsworth
-test based on individualistic, Western culture
-Conducted in America, Ainsworth tested children’s
anxiety on separation from their primary care giver
-assumed that Ainsworth’s research
methodology could be applied all around the world
- children in other countries reacted differently
- German mothers seen as cold and rejecting
- words used to describe insecure rather than ‘type’
DSM
-escobar study (African Americans auditory hallucinations more likely to be diagnosed with SZ)
- written in USA and put onto other cultures
- causes misdiagnosis and discrimination against cultural minorities
-westernised seen as normal
what are the positives of cultural bias
CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGIES
- key strength of acknowledging cultural bias is development of indigenous psychology
- studies how individuals shape and are shaped by their cultural experiences by somone who is a part of that culture
- avoids ethnocentrism and ensures cultural relativism as research is conducted within
cultures rather than imposing external perspectives
- ensures findings are more representative and promotes more inclusivity and understanding
GLOBALISATION (more of a debate)
- increased globalisation and interconnectedness, the issue of cultural bias in research may be less
pronounced today
- traditional view that individualist cultures (e.g., the U.S.) prioritise independence while collectivist
cultures (e.g., Japan) emphasise group has been challenged in contemporary society
- urban areas of Japan becoming more similar to western culture
-suggests that cultural differences may not be as rigid as once thought, meaning modern psychological
research is potentially less affected by cultural bias than historical research.
what is the negative of cultural bias
NEGATIVE IMPLACATIONS
-has historically contributed to
prejudice and discrimination of ethnic minority groups.
- early intelligence tests in the U.S where ethnocentric
- assumed all cultural groups had knowledge of American cultural references
- ethnic minorities particularly those from southeastern Europe and African American communities, scored
lower, leading to the justification of discriminatory policies
- unfairly labelled as less intelligent and were denied educational and professional opportunities
-demonstrates how cultural bias in research can have
severe real-world consequences, reinforcing stereotypes and systemic inequalities
what is determinism
idea that all behaviour is governed by forces out of our control
what is hard determinism
all behaviour has a cause
forces outside of control completely shape our behaviour (incompatible with free will)
what is soft determinism
behaviour is constrained by external forces but there is still an element of free will in behaviour
what is biological determinism
the idea that all behaviour is caused by our genes
• genetic
• hormonal
• neural
• evolutionary
what are the examples of biological determinism
psychopathology - candidate genes like COMT + SERT genes cause vulnerability to OCD - people with first degree relative with OCD 5x more likely to develop
forensics - agresszion and MAOA. gene said to cause offending due to increased aggression
what is environmental determinism
idea that all behaviour is caused by environment and past experiences and learnt behaviour
- classical conditioning
what are the examples of environmental determinism
psychopathology- mowrers two process model - phobias are acquired thought classical conditioning and maintained through operant eg little albert
forensics- differential association linking to bandura
what is psychic determinism
the idea that behaviour is the result of childhood experience and innate drives within our subconscious
what is the example for psychic determinism
psychodynamic- freud saw human behaviour as determined by unconscious conflicts, repressed in childhood as a result of childhood experiences
- fixations
- defence mechanisms
sz mother
