Gender Bias
Gender bias results when one gender is treated less favourably than the other, often referred to as sexism consequences
include:
• Scientifically misleading
• Upholding stereotypical assumptions
• Validating sex discrimination
3 main types:
Alpha bias - differences between men and women are exaggerated. Therefore, stereotypically male and female characteristics
may be emphasised.
Beta bias -differences between men and women are minimised. Often happens when findings from men are applied to
women.
Androcentrism - taking male thinking/behavior as normal, regarding female thinking/behavior as deviant, inferiour, abnormal,
‘other’ when it is different.
Positive Consequences of Gender Bias
Alpha Bias:
• Some theorists (Gilligan) to assert the worth and valuation ‘feminine qualities’. ✅• Criticism of cultural values that
praise certain ‘male’ qualities such as aggression and individualism as desirable, adaptive and universal.✅
Beta Bias:
• Makes people see men and women as the same - equal treatment in legal terms and equal access to employment ✅
Negative Consequences of Gender Bias
Alpha Bias:
• Can sustain prejudices and stereotypes.🔴
Beta Bias:
• Draws attention away from the differences in power between men and women.🔴
• Considered egalitarian approach but it results in major misrepresentations of both genders.🔴
Examples
Kohlberg & Moral Development
Kohlberg - stages of moral development around male moral reasoning - all-male sample - generalised his findings to
women (beta bias) - claimed women generally reached lower level of moral development (androcentrism).
Gilligan highlighted gender bias in Kohlberg’s work - suggested women make moral decisions in a different way to men -
However this is also (alpha) biased, as male and female moral reasoning is more similar than her work suggests.
Freud & Psychosexual Development
Freud’s ideas - All his theories are androcentric, most obviously: -‘Penis envy’ – women are defined psychologically by
the fact that they aren’t men. Freud reinforced stereotypes - women’s moral Inferiority, treated deviations from
traditional sex-role behavior as pathological (career ambition = penis envy)
He was a product of his time - saw ‘Biology as destiny’ and women’s roles as prescribed & predetermined.
, Biomedical Theories of Abnormality
In women, mental illness - more likely to be explained in terms of neurochemical/hormonal processes, rather than other
possible explanations such as social or environmental (e.g. domestic violence, unpaid labour, discrimination).
Consequences
Feminists argue that although gender differences are minimal or non-existent, they are used against women
to maintain male power.
Judgements about an individual women’s ability are made on the basis of average differences between the
sexes - lowers a women’s self esteem; making them, rather than men, think they have to improve themselves
(Tavris, 1993).
Reducing Gender Bias
Equal opportunity legislation and feminist psychology - reduced institutionalised gender bias and drawn
attention to sources of bias and under-researched areas in psychology like childcare, sexual abuse, dual
burden working and prostitution.
The Feminist perspective
• Re-examining the ‘facts’ about gender.
• View of women as normal humans, not deficient men.
• Scepticism towards biological determinism.
• Research agenda focusing on women’s’ concerns.
• A psychology for women, rather than a psychology of women.
Gender bias results when one gender is treated less favourably than the other, often referred to as sexism consequences
include:
• Scientifically misleading
• Upholding stereotypical assumptions
• Validating sex discrimination
3 main types:
Alpha bias - differences between men and women are exaggerated. Therefore, stereotypically male and female characteristics
may be emphasised.
Beta bias -differences between men and women are minimised. Often happens when findings from men are applied to
women.
Androcentrism - taking male thinking/behavior as normal, regarding female thinking/behavior as deviant, inferiour, abnormal,
‘other’ when it is different.
Positive Consequences of Gender Bias
Alpha Bias:
• Some theorists (Gilligan) to assert the worth and valuation ‘feminine qualities’. ✅• Criticism of cultural values that
praise certain ‘male’ qualities such as aggression and individualism as desirable, adaptive and universal.✅
Beta Bias:
• Makes people see men and women as the same - equal treatment in legal terms and equal access to employment ✅
Negative Consequences of Gender Bias
Alpha Bias:
• Can sustain prejudices and stereotypes.🔴
Beta Bias:
• Draws attention away from the differences in power between men and women.🔴
• Considered egalitarian approach but it results in major misrepresentations of both genders.🔴
Examples
Kohlberg & Moral Development
Kohlberg - stages of moral development around male moral reasoning - all-male sample - generalised his findings to
women (beta bias) - claimed women generally reached lower level of moral development (androcentrism).
Gilligan highlighted gender bias in Kohlberg’s work - suggested women make moral decisions in a different way to men -
However this is also (alpha) biased, as male and female moral reasoning is more similar than her work suggests.
Freud & Psychosexual Development
Freud’s ideas - All his theories are androcentric, most obviously: -‘Penis envy’ – women are defined psychologically by
the fact that they aren’t men. Freud reinforced stereotypes - women’s moral Inferiority, treated deviations from
traditional sex-role behavior as pathological (career ambition = penis envy)
He was a product of his time - saw ‘Biology as destiny’ and women’s roles as prescribed & predetermined.
, Biomedical Theories of Abnormality
In women, mental illness - more likely to be explained in terms of neurochemical/hormonal processes, rather than other
possible explanations such as social or environmental (e.g. domestic violence, unpaid labour, discrimination).
Consequences
Feminists argue that although gender differences are minimal or non-existent, they are used against women
to maintain male power.
Judgements about an individual women’s ability are made on the basis of average differences between the
sexes - lowers a women’s self esteem; making them, rather than men, think they have to improve themselves
(Tavris, 1993).
Reducing Gender Bias
Equal opportunity legislation and feminist psychology - reduced institutionalised gender bias and drawn
attention to sources of bias and under-researched areas in psychology like childcare, sexual abuse, dual
burden working and prostitution.
The Feminist perspective
• Re-examining the ‘facts’ about gender.
• View of women as normal humans, not deficient men.
• Scepticism towards biological determinism.
• Research agenda focusing on women’s’ concerns.
• A psychology for women, rather than a psychology of women.
