Gender Bias

Key terms:
Universality: An underlying characteristic of a human being that is capable of being applied to all
Gender Bias – a theory or research study that does not represent the experience and behaviour of men or women (usually women)
Androcentrism: Male centred, when ‘normal’ behaviour is judged according to a male standard - so female behaviour is judged to be ‘abnormal’ or ‘inferior’.
Alpha Bias: Psychological theories that suggest there are real and enduring differences between men and women. Typically they undervalue women
Beta Bias: Theories that ignore or minimize differences between the sexes

KEY POINTS:
1 Some argue that mainstream Psychology has ALPHA BIAS. This means it presents differences between sexes as unalterable, fixed. One example would be SOCIOBIOLOGICAL THEORY in relationships (check notes!). This assumes that females who engage in promiscuous behaviour are behaving unnaturally, while a male who does is behaving in accordance with his genes.
2. In contrast BETA BIAS minimises the differences between the sexes. For example FIGHT or FLIGHT early research conducted totally on male animals, and generalised to both sexes and humans.
Recently it has been suggested that female biology is different. That it has evolved to inhibit the fight or flight response, and to encourage befriending with other females, to form defensive networks, a more rational response to external pressure.
3. ANDROCENTRISM . This is a consequence of Beta Bias, as all males samples will mean that behaviour that deviates from the standard will be seen as ‘abnormal’ This leads to pathologising female behaviour. For example PRE MENSTRAL SYNDROME, has been criticised as social construction by feminists. It medicalises female emotions, esp. anger, and puts them down to biology, thus not justified or to be taken seriously. While male anger is seen as rational and justified.

EVALUATION
This leads to misleading information about female behaviour. It could be used to provide scientific justification to deny women wider participation in the work place. Ie PMS
A lack of women at senior research level in Psychology, means that female concerns are not reflected in the RESEEARCH QUESTONS.
In the LAB EXPERIMENT women are placed in an inequitable relationship with a usually male researcher, who has the power to label them as unreasonable or irrational.
Positive points – some researches see this issue as w way to encourage RELFEXTIVITY (see research methods Qualitative data analysis) as it encourages researchers to be aware of their own gender biases, and to report them, thus increasing awareness of the issue.

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