ISSUES AND DEBATES
GENDER BIAS
Gender bias in psychological research undermines psychologists’ claims to universality - that
conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, everywhere always. Gender bias comes in two
forms: alpha bias and beta bias. Alpha bias occurs when differences between males and
females are exaggerated in research or conclusions, most often undermining women in relation
to men. An example of alpha bias in psychology comes from Freud’s psychodynamic approach,
in which he theorises that women are less moral than men because they name less strongly
with their same-sex parent in the phallic stage. Beta bias in psychological research is when
differences between men and women are ignored or undermined in research or conclusions.
For example, the classic view of the fight or flight response suffers from beta bias as research
favours using male animals due to hormonal changes in women. For example, because females
produce more oxytocin, Taylor proposed that they show a ‘tend and befriend’ response rather
than fight or flight. Alpha and beta bias are both the result of androcentrism, which is the idea
that over the years psychology has been a male-dominated study, with only 6 of the 100 most
influential psychologists being women. Psychology has traditionally been a subject produced by
men, for men and about men.
A limitation of gender biassed research in psychology is that it tends to perpetuate invalid
findings as fact. For example, Maccoby and Jacklin presented findings of several gender studies
which showed that girls have better verbal ability whilst boys have superior spatial ability and
suggested that these differences are ‘hardwired’ into the brain before birth. Joel et al. have since
used scanning techniques to show that no such biological differences exist and suggested that
findings like Maccoby and Jacklin’s are popularised and accepted only because they fit existing
stereotypes. This shows how gender biassed research, even if it is incorrect, can be used to
perpetuate stereotypes that may be harmful. However, criticisms like this risk discouraging
studies into gender differences when they are important. Ingalhalikar suggests that the
stereotype of women being able to multitask better than men may have some scientific truth to
it, due to differences in neural connections. This suggests that biological differences between
men and women should be studied to provide useful insight into gender differences.
Another limitation is that gender bias promotes sexism in the research process. Women always
have been and still are underrepresented in university departments in psychological studies.
Although most undergraduates in psychology are females, males are significantly more likely to
be appointed as lecturers. This means that researchers are much more likely to be men, which
may disadvantage participants who are women. For example, male researchers may have
preconceptions about women being irrational that influence their research. This may lead to
any findings being biassed, and further perpetuating stereotypes. This means that long
standing institutional structures are likely to lead to gender-blissed research. The implications
of such research are wide-reaching and harmful. For example, due to men being presented as
, the norm in psychological research, it ‘becomes normal for women to feel abnormal,’ which is
highly socially sensitive and damaging to the self-image of women.
A further limitation of gender-biassed research is that research challenging these biases in
psychology is less likely to be published. Formanowicz et al. analyses over 1000 studies
relating to gender bias and found that they were funded less often and were significantly less
likely to be published by prestigious journals, when compared with other forms of bias such as
culture bias. This suggests that gender bias in psychological research is taken less seriously
than other forms of bias, meaning that it occurs more often and has an enormous impact on
research. However, many modern researchers now acknowledge the role of their own gender
biases in their research (reflexivity), which has led to an improvement in gender biassed
research. This suggests that developments in psychology are taking place to reduce the effects
of gender bias.
GENDER BIAS
Gender bias in psychological research undermines psychologists’ claims to universality - that
conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, everywhere always. Gender bias comes in two
forms: alpha bias and beta bias. Alpha bias occurs when differences between males and
females are exaggerated in research or conclusions, most often undermining women in relation
to men. An example of alpha bias in psychology comes from Freud’s psychodynamic approach,
in which he theorises that women are less moral than men because they name less strongly
with their same-sex parent in the phallic stage. Beta bias in psychological research is when
differences between men and women are ignored or undermined in research or conclusions.
For example, the classic view of the fight or flight response suffers from beta bias as research
favours using male animals due to hormonal changes in women. For example, because females
produce more oxytocin, Taylor proposed that they show a ‘tend and befriend’ response rather
than fight or flight. Alpha and beta bias are both the result of androcentrism, which is the idea
that over the years psychology has been a male-dominated study, with only 6 of the 100 most
influential psychologists being women. Psychology has traditionally been a subject produced by
men, for men and about men.
A limitation of gender biassed research in psychology is that it tends to perpetuate invalid
findings as fact. For example, Maccoby and Jacklin presented findings of several gender studies
which showed that girls have better verbal ability whilst boys have superior spatial ability and
suggested that these differences are ‘hardwired’ into the brain before birth. Joel et al. have since
used scanning techniques to show that no such biological differences exist and suggested that
findings like Maccoby and Jacklin’s are popularised and accepted only because they fit existing
stereotypes. This shows how gender biassed research, even if it is incorrect, can be used to
perpetuate stereotypes that may be harmful. However, criticisms like this risk discouraging
studies into gender differences when they are important. Ingalhalikar suggests that the
stereotype of women being able to multitask better than men may have some scientific truth to
it, due to differences in neural connections. This suggests that biological differences between
men and women should be studied to provide useful insight into gender differences.
Another limitation is that gender bias promotes sexism in the research process. Women always
have been and still are underrepresented in university departments in psychological studies.
Although most undergraduates in psychology are females, males are significantly more likely to
be appointed as lecturers. This means that researchers are much more likely to be men, which
may disadvantage participants who are women. For example, male researchers may have
preconceptions about women being irrational that influence their research. This may lead to
any findings being biassed, and further perpetuating stereotypes. This means that long
standing institutional structures are likely to lead to gender-blissed research. The implications
of such research are wide-reaching and harmful. For example, due to men being presented as
, the norm in psychological research, it ‘becomes normal for women to feel abnormal,’ which is
highly socially sensitive and damaging to the self-image of women.
A further limitation of gender-biassed research is that research challenging these biases in
psychology is less likely to be published. Formanowicz et al. analyses over 1000 studies
relating to gender bias and found that they were funded less often and were significantly less
likely to be published by prestigious journals, when compared with other forms of bias such as
culture bias. This suggests that gender bias in psychological research is taken less seriously
than other forms of bias, meaning that it occurs more often and has an enormous impact on
research. However, many modern researchers now acknowledge the role of their own gender
biases in their research (reflexivity), which has led to an improvement in gender biassed
research. This suggests that developments in psychology are taking place to reduce the effects
of gender bias.
