GENDER BIAS (+) Feminist psychology
Development of criteria that should be
Alpha bias – theories that exaggerate differences between men and women, followed to avoid gender bias in
reinforcing stereotypes. research.
Bowlby’s research on maternal care suggested that women should stay at home Women should be studied within real-life
to care for the child due to their nurturing instincts. contexts and genuinely participate in the
Evolutionary explanations for partner preferences suggest that females are research
choosier than males as ova are a rarer source than sperm. Diversity within gender groups examines
rather than comparison between (to
avoid alpha bias)
Beta bias – theories that minimize the differences between men and women i.e.
studies on male participants are applied to women without considering (-) Implications of gender research
differences. Research may provide scientific
Early lab studies on fight or flight used male participants, which findings were justification to deny women
generalized to women, despite their differences in tendencies. opportunities within the workplace or
Milgram only used male participants in his study however other studies (puppy) wider society – may have damaging
showed how women are actually more obedient. consequences on women.
(-) Sexism within research processes
Androcentrism - where all behavior is compared to a male standard or norm. If Lack of women appointed at senior
women display behavior that is different from this, then they are seen as inferior. research levels due to male researchers’
Studies on fight-or-flight are based on the male response to stressors. Women studies being more likely to have their
respond differently, known as tend-and-befriend. work published.
, Universality – to what extent do psychological theories represent universal human behavior?
CULTURAL Henrich suggested that WEIRD people are most likely to be studied:
BIAS Westernized
Educated people from
(+) Improving psychology Industrialized
world-wide Rich
Researchers are now able to Democracies
travel more and have
greater opportunity to carry Ethnocentrism – belief in the superiority of ones own cultural group, evaluating other groups
out cross-cultural research. against their own’s norms.
Academics meet and share Ainsworth’s strange situation is criticized for only reflecting norms from a ‘western’ culture.
ideas at international They found that American babies showed moderate separation anxiety, which they classified as
conferences. This helps secure attachment, however other cultures such as in Germany, it is seen as more normal to
reduce any ethnocentrism have no separation anxiety, but they would be classified as insecure-avoidant.
in psychological studies.
Cultural relativism – an etic approach looks at behavior from a certain culture and tries to
(-) Reinforces stereotypes describe their findings universally
A US army IQ test showed Milgram's study was on American male participants only, which was generalized to other
that European immigrants cultures until replications were done.
scored lower than white Definitions for abnormality - deviation from social norms are different in each culture i.e. in
Americans, causing an effect southern Europe it is much more common to stand in close proximity to strangers than in the
on attitudes held by US.
Americans towards An emic approach emphasizes the difference between cultures (can not be generalised)
Europeans. For example cultural variations of Milgram’s study found conformity in Spain to be 90%
Development of criteria that should be
Alpha bias – theories that exaggerate differences between men and women, followed to avoid gender bias in
reinforcing stereotypes. research.
Bowlby’s research on maternal care suggested that women should stay at home Women should be studied within real-life
to care for the child due to their nurturing instincts. contexts and genuinely participate in the
Evolutionary explanations for partner preferences suggest that females are research
choosier than males as ova are a rarer source than sperm. Diversity within gender groups examines
rather than comparison between (to
avoid alpha bias)
Beta bias – theories that minimize the differences between men and women i.e.
studies on male participants are applied to women without considering (-) Implications of gender research
differences. Research may provide scientific
Early lab studies on fight or flight used male participants, which findings were justification to deny women
generalized to women, despite their differences in tendencies. opportunities within the workplace or
Milgram only used male participants in his study however other studies (puppy) wider society – may have damaging
showed how women are actually more obedient. consequences on women.
(-) Sexism within research processes
Androcentrism - where all behavior is compared to a male standard or norm. If Lack of women appointed at senior
women display behavior that is different from this, then they are seen as inferior. research levels due to male researchers’
Studies on fight-or-flight are based on the male response to stressors. Women studies being more likely to have their
respond differently, known as tend-and-befriend. work published.
, Universality – to what extent do psychological theories represent universal human behavior?
CULTURAL Henrich suggested that WEIRD people are most likely to be studied:
BIAS Westernized
Educated people from
(+) Improving psychology Industrialized
world-wide Rich
Researchers are now able to Democracies
travel more and have
greater opportunity to carry Ethnocentrism – belief in the superiority of ones own cultural group, evaluating other groups
out cross-cultural research. against their own’s norms.
Academics meet and share Ainsworth’s strange situation is criticized for only reflecting norms from a ‘western’ culture.
ideas at international They found that American babies showed moderate separation anxiety, which they classified as
conferences. This helps secure attachment, however other cultures such as in Germany, it is seen as more normal to
reduce any ethnocentrism have no separation anxiety, but they would be classified as insecure-avoidant.
in psychological studies.
Cultural relativism – an etic approach looks at behavior from a certain culture and tries to
(-) Reinforces stereotypes describe their findings universally
A US army IQ test showed Milgram's study was on American male participants only, which was generalized to other
that European immigrants cultures until replications were done.
scored lower than white Definitions for abnormality - deviation from social norms are different in each culture i.e. in
Americans, causing an effect southern Europe it is much more common to stand in close proximity to strangers than in the
on attitudes held by US.
Americans towards An emic approach emphasizes the difference between cultures (can not be generalised)
Europeans. For example cultural variations of Milgram’s study found conformity in Spain to be 90%
