Issues and Debates - AQA A Level Psychology (Paper 3)
What is universality? (Gender & culture bias)
The idea that conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, anywhere, regardless of time or
culture.
What is bias?
Bias is a tendency to treat one individual or group in a different way from others
What is gender bias? (Gender bias)
Psychological research or theory that offers a view that does not justifiably represent the
experience and behaviour of men or women.
What are the two types of gender bias? (Gender bias)
Alpha bias
Beta bias
What is alpha bias? (Gender bias)
Psychological research/theories that exaggerate or overestimate the difference between the
sexes.
What group is most likely to be affected by alpha bias? Give an example of a theory that does
so. (gender bias)
Alpha bias is more likely to devalue women in relation to men.
E.g, the sociobiological theory of relationship formation (Wilson 1975). States that sexual
promiscuity in males is genetically determined while females who do this are going against their
nature.
What is beta bias? (gender bias)
Psychological research/theories that ignore, minimise or underestimate differences between
men and women.
Why is psychological research often beta biased? Give an example of a theory that has this
problem. (gender bias)
Beta bias often occurs when female participants are not included as part of the research
process, but it is assumed that the findings apply to women as well as men.
E.g, the fight or flight response. Early research was based exclusively on male animals, and was
assumed to be a universal response. Taylor et al. (2000) suggested that female biology evolved
to inhibit fight or flight, shifting attention towards caring for offspring (tending) and forming
defensive networks (befriending).
, What is one possible consequence of beta bias? (gender bias)
Androcentrism
Explain androcentrism. (gender bias)
If our understanding of 'normal behaviour' is drawn from research with all-male samples,
behaviour that deviates from this is likely to be seen as 'abnormal' or 'inferior'. Leads to female
behaviour being misunderstood, or even pathologised.
Give an example of androcentrism.
PMS - critics often claim that PMS is a social construction which medicalises female emotions,
seeing them in hormonal terms
What is the essentialist perspective on gender? (gender bias)
The essentialist perspective on gender is that the gender difference in question is inevitable and
'fixed' in nature.
What are the implications of gender bias?
• It is scientifically misleading
• Upholds stereotypical assumptions, and might provide a justification to deny women
opportunities where men set the standard of noramilty
• It validates sex discrimination - double standard in the way the same behaviour is viewed
from a male and female perspective
• Institutional sexism creates bias in theory and research - male researchers are more likely to
have their work published. Lack of women appointed at senior research levels means female
perspective may not be reflected in research questions asked.
Define culture (cultural bias)
The learned set of behaviours, values and norms of a particular group.
What is cultural bias? (cultural bias)
The tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret all phenomena through the 'lens' of
ones own culture.
What is ethnocentrism? (cultural bias)
Occurs when a researcher takes the views or behaviour of their own culture as 'normal', and if
other cultures differ from this, views them as abnormal or deficient.
What is anglocentrism? (cultural bias)
What is universality? (Gender & culture bias)
The idea that conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, anywhere, regardless of time or
culture.
What is bias?
Bias is a tendency to treat one individual or group in a different way from others
What is gender bias? (Gender bias)
Psychological research or theory that offers a view that does not justifiably represent the
experience and behaviour of men or women.
What are the two types of gender bias? (Gender bias)
Alpha bias
Beta bias
What is alpha bias? (Gender bias)
Psychological research/theories that exaggerate or overestimate the difference between the
sexes.
What group is most likely to be affected by alpha bias? Give an example of a theory that does
so. (gender bias)
Alpha bias is more likely to devalue women in relation to men.
E.g, the sociobiological theory of relationship formation (Wilson 1975). States that sexual
promiscuity in males is genetically determined while females who do this are going against their
nature.
What is beta bias? (gender bias)
Psychological research/theories that ignore, minimise or underestimate differences between
men and women.
Why is psychological research often beta biased? Give an example of a theory that has this
problem. (gender bias)
Beta bias often occurs when female participants are not included as part of the research
process, but it is assumed that the findings apply to women as well as men.
E.g, the fight or flight response. Early research was based exclusively on male animals, and was
assumed to be a universal response. Taylor et al. (2000) suggested that female biology evolved
to inhibit fight or flight, shifting attention towards caring for offspring (tending) and forming
defensive networks (befriending).
, What is one possible consequence of beta bias? (gender bias)
Androcentrism
Explain androcentrism. (gender bias)
If our understanding of 'normal behaviour' is drawn from research with all-male samples,
behaviour that deviates from this is likely to be seen as 'abnormal' or 'inferior'. Leads to female
behaviour being misunderstood, or even pathologised.
Give an example of androcentrism.
PMS - critics often claim that PMS is a social construction which medicalises female emotions,
seeing them in hormonal terms
What is the essentialist perspective on gender? (gender bias)
The essentialist perspective on gender is that the gender difference in question is inevitable and
'fixed' in nature.
What are the implications of gender bias?
• It is scientifically misleading
• Upholds stereotypical assumptions, and might provide a justification to deny women
opportunities where men set the standard of noramilty
• It validates sex discrimination - double standard in the way the same behaviour is viewed
from a male and female perspective
• Institutional sexism creates bias in theory and research - male researchers are more likely to
have their work published. Lack of women appointed at senior research levels means female
perspective may not be reflected in research questions asked.
Define culture (cultural bias)
The learned set of behaviours, values and norms of a particular group.
What is cultural bias? (cultural bias)
The tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret all phenomena through the 'lens' of
ones own culture.
What is ethnocentrism? (cultural bias)
Occurs when a researcher takes the views or behaviour of their own culture as 'normal', and if
other cultures differ from this, views them as abnormal or deficient.
What is anglocentrism? (cultural bias)
