Issues and debates:
Issues:
Gender Bias:
Gender bias - The differential treatment or representation of men and women based on
stereotypes rather than real differences
There can be biological, social, psychological and cultural gender bias
Androcentrism - Psychological theories typically representing a male world view.
● Can lead to Alpha or Beta bias
● Male behaviour is viewed as normal and females abnormal when they don't behave the
same
Universality - The aim to develop theories that apply to all people and acknowledge real
differences without claiming superiority for one gender
Three ways Gender Bias can occur:
● All Male Samples
○ Eg.Asch Study
● Male Behaviour as standard
○ Eg.Taylor et al, found fight or flight was not standard as women tend or befriend
● Biological Difference Emphasis
○ Eg. Sociobiological theory - females should have a single partner but men can be
more promiscuous
Alpha Bias - Exaggerates or overestimates differences between sexes. Presents differences as
inevitable and fixed
Example - Freud said ‘femininity is due to failed masculinity’
Beta Bias - Minimises or underestimates the difference between sexes. Females are often
underrepresented in research and findings are assumed to apply to all sexes
Example - Taylor et al researched fight or flight on women and found that they had tend or
befriend showing how previous male behaviour was seen as standard
, Evaluation:
● Implications of Gender Bias - Can create misleading assumptions about female
behaviour as it assumes men are normal and women are abnormal that can have
damaging consequences in real life as it fails to acknowledge negative stereotypes.
● Reflexivity - The process of reflecting on the relationship between researcher and
research allowing them to acknowledge bias and the fact it may play a role in
interpretation of results.
● Sexism with the research process - Lack of women in high positions at research level
means questions they are interested in researching may not be acknowledged with male
researchers more likely to have their research published. In lab experiments, female
participants may be researched by male researchers who label them as unreasonable,
irrational and unable to complete complex tasks (Nicolson, 1995)
● Feminist Psychology - Looking at gender differences and how to change it
Cultural Bias:
In 1992 65% of the worlds psychology research was conducted in America
Culture Bias - Tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret all phenomena through the
lens of one's own culture
Ethnocentrism - Our own culture is seen as the norm and judges other cultures against our
own. Most research is conducted in Western culture and is Ethnocentric
Cultural Relativism - Idea that behaviour can only be truly understood if cultural context is
taken into consideration
Alpha Bias - Difference between cultures are overestimated/exaggerated
Beta Bias - Difference between cultures are underestimated
Emic Approach - Studying individual cultures and behaviours that are culturally specific. Looks
at behaviours from within a culture
Etic Approach - Studying behaviour across many cultures in order to find universal human
behaviour. Looks at behaviour from outside a culture
Imposed Etic - Psychological test/research method/theory that was developed for one culture
and is imposed on other groups of people
Eugenics - Viewing intelligence and social behaviour as determined by biology and race. Uses
“Planned breeding” for ideal genetics
Issues:
Gender Bias:
Gender bias - The differential treatment or representation of men and women based on
stereotypes rather than real differences
There can be biological, social, psychological and cultural gender bias
Androcentrism - Psychological theories typically representing a male world view.
● Can lead to Alpha or Beta bias
● Male behaviour is viewed as normal and females abnormal when they don't behave the
same
Universality - The aim to develop theories that apply to all people and acknowledge real
differences without claiming superiority for one gender
Three ways Gender Bias can occur:
● All Male Samples
○ Eg.Asch Study
● Male Behaviour as standard
○ Eg.Taylor et al, found fight or flight was not standard as women tend or befriend
● Biological Difference Emphasis
○ Eg. Sociobiological theory - females should have a single partner but men can be
more promiscuous
Alpha Bias - Exaggerates or overestimates differences between sexes. Presents differences as
inevitable and fixed
Example - Freud said ‘femininity is due to failed masculinity’
Beta Bias - Minimises or underestimates the difference between sexes. Females are often
underrepresented in research and findings are assumed to apply to all sexes
Example - Taylor et al researched fight or flight on women and found that they had tend or
befriend showing how previous male behaviour was seen as standard
, Evaluation:
● Implications of Gender Bias - Can create misleading assumptions about female
behaviour as it assumes men are normal and women are abnormal that can have
damaging consequences in real life as it fails to acknowledge negative stereotypes.
● Reflexivity - The process of reflecting on the relationship between researcher and
research allowing them to acknowledge bias and the fact it may play a role in
interpretation of results.
● Sexism with the research process - Lack of women in high positions at research level
means questions they are interested in researching may not be acknowledged with male
researchers more likely to have their research published. In lab experiments, female
participants may be researched by male researchers who label them as unreasonable,
irrational and unable to complete complex tasks (Nicolson, 1995)
● Feminist Psychology - Looking at gender differences and how to change it
Cultural Bias:
In 1992 65% of the worlds psychology research was conducted in America
Culture Bias - Tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret all phenomena through the
lens of one's own culture
Ethnocentrism - Our own culture is seen as the norm and judges other cultures against our
own. Most research is conducted in Western culture and is Ethnocentric
Cultural Relativism - Idea that behaviour can only be truly understood if cultural context is
taken into consideration
Alpha Bias - Difference between cultures are overestimated/exaggerated
Beta Bias - Difference between cultures are underestimated
Emic Approach - Studying individual cultures and behaviours that are culturally specific. Looks
at behaviours from within a culture
Etic Approach - Studying behaviour across many cultures in order to find universal human
behaviour. Looks at behaviour from outside a culture
Imposed Etic - Psychological test/research method/theory that was developed for one culture
and is imposed on other groups of people
Eugenics - Viewing intelligence and social behaviour as determined by biology and race. Uses
“Planned breeding” for ideal genetics
