debates
, Gender bias :
Universality and bias Gender bids and alpha and beta bias.
Spec
including androcentrism
:
.
universality any :
under- Universiality and bias :
characteristic of human Psychologists hold beliefs that have been influenced live. These
lying by social and historical context Within which
they
beings that is capable of beliefs may be biased and may not present the objective reality.This means bias in the research process
being applied to all , despite may be inevitable , despite Psychologists' claims about discoveringfacts' that are 'objective' and 'value-free?
differences of experience and Bias also undermines
psychology's claims to universality that conclusions drawn can be applied to
anyone,
Gender and
upbringing. anywhere regardless of , the culture .
Culture bias threatens the Alpha DiaS :
Universality of findings in Psychological research that exaggerates a difference is alpha-biased Such .
Psychology. differences are
typically presented a fixed and inevitable Sometimes these differences
.
gender bias : When Considering heighten the value of women, but more often than not ,
they devalue women in relation
human behaviour bias ,
is a to men . For example Freud's ,
theory of psychosexual development implies that women
tendency to treat one are morally inferior to men. During the phallic stage boys , and girls develop a desire
individual/group in a for the opposite-gender parent In boys this leads to castration anxiety This is resolved when a boy
strong .
.
,
different way from others. identifies with his father But .
, a
girl's eventual identification is weaker , so her
superego is reaker.
Psychological research may Alphabias can sometimes favour women in the
psychodynamic approach· Chodrow (1968) suggested that mothers and
offer a view that does not daughters have the closest bond due to biological similarity.
justifiably represent the Beta bias :
experience of men or Psychological research that
ignores or underestimates differences is beta-biased. This happens when we assume that
women
(usually Women). research
findings apply equally to both men and women , even when one
gender typically, women have been excluded
,
androcentreCism male-centered from the research :
process For example biological
.
, research into the fight or flight response is generally centred around
When 'normal behaviour is male animal
testing as female benaviour may change frequently due to theovulation Cycle . So this
,
ignores any
judged according to a male possible differences Early . research into the fight or
flight response just assumed that behaviour was the same for
standard , so female behaviour males and females .
Taylor et al (2000) claimed that this was not true and described the 'tend and befriend' response.
'abnormal ! The 'love' hormone plentiful in respond to through oxytocin
is
normally seen as Oxytocin is more women and it seems that women stress
alpha bias : research that production. This reduces the fight or flight response and enhances the need to tend and befriend Can evolved response
focuses on differences for looking after others) This . shows how much research minimises gender difference.This may also be
damaging to men
between men and women , as some attachment research suggests that emotional care is
solely provided for by men.
and therefore tends to Androcentrecism :
present a view that Alpha and beta bias are consequences of androcentre Cism. Over the years psychology has presented ,
a male-
exaggerates these differences· dominated version of the world. For example the American
, Psychological Association published a list of the 100 most
influential of the 20th 6 This
beta bias : research that
psychologists century and only women were on the list .
suggests that psychology has
focuses on similarities traditionally been a subject produced for , by and about men an androcentric perspective Women's behaviour if it has
-
·
,
between men and women ,
been considered has been misunderstood and
,
at worst , taken as a
sign of illness. Feminists have often objected to the
and therefore tends to diagnostic category premenstrual syndrome as it medicalises women's emotions such as , anger ,
Whilst men's anger is
present a view that ignores often seen as justified to external pressures.
or minimises differences.
↓
gender differences are often presented as fixed and
enduring when they may not be li .
e -
social/biological differences) ·
*
psychologists avoid
studying possible gender difference in the brain for fear it
may exaggerate stereotypes .
*
psychology as an institution may produce gender-biased research
↑ Formanowice et al (2018 analysed 1000 gender bias articles and found they were funded less often and published in less
prestigious journals .