GENDER BIAS in Psychology (Issues and Debates)

Gender Bias

Key Terms:

1.      Universality: any theory or characteristic that can be applied to everyone, irrespective of differences in experiences, upbringing, gender or culture (ect.)

2.      Gender Bias: this is the tendency to treat one group of people in a different way to others. For example, psychological research may offer a view that does not justifiably represent the experience and behaviour of both men and women (usually women).

3.      Androcentrism: a theory based on male behaviour but applied to females and therefore is biased. This can lead to female behaviour being misunderstood and viewed as pathological. (Androcentrism is a consequence of Beta Bias.)

4.      Alpha Bias: The exaggeration or overestimation of the differences between the genders, usually viewing females as inferior to men.

5.     Beta Bias: differences between men and women is ignored, minimised or underestimated. This often occurs when female participants are not included as part of the research processes and then it is assumed that research findings apply equally to both sexes.

Example of Beta Bias: The fight or flight response.
Early research into the fight or flight response was based exclusively on male animals and this was then assumed to be a universal response to a threatening situation. It has later been suggested, by Taylor et al (2000) that rather than the ‘fight or flight’ response, females instead experience a drive to care for offspring, make alliances and seek protection in times of stress (‘tend-and-befriend’ response). This demonstrates that such bias has obscured the central aim of psychology, which is to generate theories that have universality and apply to all people.

Example of Alpha Bias: Freud
He argued that there are genuine psychological differences between men and women, and viewed femininity as a failed form of masculinity. He also argued that females form a weaker superego than males and therefore the morality they acquire is inferior to that of males.

Example of Androcentrism: Asch’s Conformity Study (1955)
Had an only-male sample, and he just assumed that the findings of his study were equally applicable to both men and women. 

EVALUATION OF GENDER BIAS:

P: Negative implications for women

E: Gender-biased research may create misleading assumptions about female behaviour, fail to challenge stereotypes and validate discriminatory practices – it may also be used to provide a scientific ‘justification’ to deny women opportunities within the workplace or in wider society.

E: Thus, gender bias is not just a methodological problem but it may also have damaging consequences which affect the lives and prospects of women around the world (for instance, females are around twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression, compared to men).

P: Gender bias can work against males as well as females, as sometimes alpha biased theories heighten the value of women.
E: For example, women are more likely to be diagnosed with, and receive treatment for, depression than males: this may be because women are more likely to suffer from depression, or it could be that males are expected to ‘pull themselves together’
E: This may highlight a gender bias issue within the psychological diagnostic system

P: By developing a greater understanding of gender bias, psychologists have put forward a number of solutions.
E: For example, some psychologists attempt to develop theories that emphasise the importance/value of women (eg. Cornwell et al (2013))
E: As a result, this type of research helps to reduce or challenge gender stereotypes which is important in reducing gender bias.