issues and debates in psychology
Gender bias:
The issue of gender bias:
Universality and bias
- Psychologists hold beliefs and values that are influenced by social and historical context
where they live. Beliefs may be biased, leaning towards a subjective view that doesn’t
necessarily reflect objective reality
- Means bias in research process inevitable. Bias also undermines psychology claims to
universality (conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, anywhere, regardless of time
and culture)
Alpha bias
- Psychological research that exaggerates differences, such differences are typically presented
as fixed and inevitable. Sometimes these differences heighten that value of women but
often they devalue women in relation to men
- Freuds theory of psychosexual development: During phallic stage of development both
genders develop a desire for opposite gender parent. In a boy creates strong castration
anxiety, this is resolved when the boy identifies with his father. Girls eventual identification
with mother is wearer meaning her superego is weaker. Therefore girls/women are morally
inferior to boys/men.
- Chodorow: suggested daughters and mothers have greater connectedness than sons and
mothers due to biological similarities. As a result, women develop better abilities to bond
and empathise
Beta bias
- Psychological research that ignores or underestimates differences is beta biased. Happens
when we assume that research findings apply equally to both men and women even when
women have been excluded from research process
- Ex: fight or flight response, biological research has generally favoured using male animals as
female behaviour is affected by regular hormonal changes due to ovulation. This simply
ignores any differences, assumes male and females with respond same
- Taylor et al. claimed this isn’t true and described tend and befriend response. Love hormone
oxytocin is more plentiful in women and seems women respond to stress by increasing
oxytocin production. Reduces fight or flight response and enhances preference for tend and
befriend. Illustrates how research minimises gender differences and may result in
misrepresentation of women’s behaviour
Androcentrism
- Alpha bias and beta bias are consequences on androcentrism. Over years psychology
presented a male-dominated version of the world. Ex: American Psychological Association
published list of 100 most influential psychologists of 20 th century, only 6 women
- Women’s behaviour if considered has been misunderstood and at worst pathologized, taken
as sign of illness. Feminists have objected to the diagnostic category premenstrual syndrome
on the grounds it medicalises women’s emotions by explaining these in hormonal terms.
Men’s anger is seen as a rational response to external pressures (Brescoll and Uhlmann)
, Evaluation:
Biological vs social explanation: Maccoby and Jacklin presented the findings of several gender
studies which concluded that girls have a superior verbal ability whereas boys have better spatial
ability. They suggested that these differences are hardwired into the brain before birth. Joel et al.
used brain scanning and found no such sex differences in brain structure or processing. Its possible
that data from Maccoby and Jacklin was popularised as it fitted stereotypes. Suggests we should be
wary of accepting research findings as biological facts when they might be social stereotypes.
However, this doesn’t mean that psychologists should avoid studying possible gender differences in
the brain. Ingalhalikar et al. suggests that the popular social stereotype that women are better at
multitasking may have some biological truth. Seems women’s brain may benefit from better
connections between the right and left hemisphere than in a man’s brain.
Sexism in research: women remain underrepresented in university departments particularly in
science. Although psychology undergrad intake is main women, lecturers are more likely to be men
(Murphy et al). Means research is more likely to be conducted by men and this may disadvantage
pps who are women. Ex: male research may expect women to be irrational land unable to complete
complex tasks (Nicolson) and such expectations are likely to mean that women underperform in
studies. Means the institutional structures and methods of psychology may produce findings that are
gender biased.
Gender-biased research: Formanowicz et al analysed more than 1000 articles relating to gender bias
published over 8rears. Found that research on gender bias is funded less often and is published less
by prestigious journals. Consequence is fewer scholars become aware of it or apply it within their
work. The researchers argued that this still held true when gender bias was compared with other
forms of bias e.g., ethnic and when other factors were controlled such as gender of author and
methodology used, suggests gender bias may not be taken as seriously as other forms of bias
Gender bias:
The issue of gender bias:
Universality and bias
- Psychologists hold beliefs and values that are influenced by social and historical context
where they live. Beliefs may be biased, leaning towards a subjective view that doesn’t
necessarily reflect objective reality
- Means bias in research process inevitable. Bias also undermines psychology claims to
universality (conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, anywhere, regardless of time
and culture)
Alpha bias
- Psychological research that exaggerates differences, such differences are typically presented
as fixed and inevitable. Sometimes these differences heighten that value of women but
often they devalue women in relation to men
- Freuds theory of psychosexual development: During phallic stage of development both
genders develop a desire for opposite gender parent. In a boy creates strong castration
anxiety, this is resolved when the boy identifies with his father. Girls eventual identification
with mother is wearer meaning her superego is weaker. Therefore girls/women are morally
inferior to boys/men.
- Chodorow: suggested daughters and mothers have greater connectedness than sons and
mothers due to biological similarities. As a result, women develop better abilities to bond
and empathise
Beta bias
- Psychological research that ignores or underestimates differences is beta biased. Happens
when we assume that research findings apply equally to both men and women even when
women have been excluded from research process
- Ex: fight or flight response, biological research has generally favoured using male animals as
female behaviour is affected by regular hormonal changes due to ovulation. This simply
ignores any differences, assumes male and females with respond same
- Taylor et al. claimed this isn’t true and described tend and befriend response. Love hormone
oxytocin is more plentiful in women and seems women respond to stress by increasing
oxytocin production. Reduces fight or flight response and enhances preference for tend and
befriend. Illustrates how research minimises gender differences and may result in
misrepresentation of women’s behaviour
Androcentrism
- Alpha bias and beta bias are consequences on androcentrism. Over years psychology
presented a male-dominated version of the world. Ex: American Psychological Association
published list of 100 most influential psychologists of 20 th century, only 6 women
- Women’s behaviour if considered has been misunderstood and at worst pathologized, taken
as sign of illness. Feminists have objected to the diagnostic category premenstrual syndrome
on the grounds it medicalises women’s emotions by explaining these in hormonal terms.
Men’s anger is seen as a rational response to external pressures (Brescoll and Uhlmann)
, Evaluation:
Biological vs social explanation: Maccoby and Jacklin presented the findings of several gender
studies which concluded that girls have a superior verbal ability whereas boys have better spatial
ability. They suggested that these differences are hardwired into the brain before birth. Joel et al.
used brain scanning and found no such sex differences in brain structure or processing. Its possible
that data from Maccoby and Jacklin was popularised as it fitted stereotypes. Suggests we should be
wary of accepting research findings as biological facts when they might be social stereotypes.
However, this doesn’t mean that psychologists should avoid studying possible gender differences in
the brain. Ingalhalikar et al. suggests that the popular social stereotype that women are better at
multitasking may have some biological truth. Seems women’s brain may benefit from better
connections between the right and left hemisphere than in a man’s brain.
Sexism in research: women remain underrepresented in university departments particularly in
science. Although psychology undergrad intake is main women, lecturers are more likely to be men
(Murphy et al). Means research is more likely to be conducted by men and this may disadvantage
pps who are women. Ex: male research may expect women to be irrational land unable to complete
complex tasks (Nicolson) and such expectations are likely to mean that women underperform in
studies. Means the institutional structures and methods of psychology may produce findings that are
gender biased.
Gender-biased research: Formanowicz et al analysed more than 1000 articles relating to gender bias
published over 8rears. Found that research on gender bias is funded less often and is published less
by prestigious journals. Consequence is fewer scholars become aware of it or apply it within their
work. The researchers argued that this still held true when gender bias was compared with other
forms of bias e.g., ethnic and when other factors were controlled such as gender of author and
methodology used, suggests gender bias may not be taken as seriously as other forms of bias
