Gender Bias

⦁ Bias is an inevitable aspect of the research process conducted by psychologists.

⦁ This is despite arguments that some psychologists might make that they have discovered 'facts' about human behaviour that are 'objective' and 'value-free'. 

⦁ It undermines psychology's claims to universality - that conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, anywhere, regardless of time or culture.

⦁ Gender bias - When concidering human behaviour, bias is a tendency to treat one individual or group in a different way from others. In this case, psychological theory or research may offer a view that does not justifiably represent the experience or behaviour of men or women (more so women).

⦁ Alpha bias - Shown in psychological theories or research which exaggerates or overestimates differences between the sexes. These may enhance or devalue members of either sex, but typically females are undervalued.

⦁ Beta bias - Shown in psychological theories or research which ignores, minimises or underestimates differences between the sexes. This often occurs when female participants are not included as part of the research process and then it is assumed that the research findings apply equally to both sexes, which might not be true.

⦁ Sociobiological theory of relationship formation (Wilson 1975), which explains human sexual attraction and behaviour through the principle of 'survival efficiency'. It is in the male's interest to try to impregnate as many women as possible to increase the chances of his genes being passed on to the next generation. For the female, the best chance of preserving her genes is to ensure healthy survival of the few offspring she is able to produce in her lifetime. This theory dictates that sexual promiscuity in males is genetically determined whilst females who engage in the same behaviour are regarded as going against their 'nature' - an exaggeration of the difference between the sexes (alpha bias). This is also an example of an essentialist argument in psychology.

⦁ Early research into the fight or flight was based exclusively on male animals (as female hormones fluctuate) and was assumed to be a universal response to a threatening situation. Taylor et al. (2000) have more recently suggested that female biology has evolved to inhibit fight or flight, shifting attention towards caring for offspring (tending) and forming defensive networks with other females (befriending). This is an example of beta bias as females where left out of the earlier study and the findings where applied to all. Differences which where later found, where played down and ignored.

⦁ One possible consequence of beta bias is androcentrism.

⦁ Adrocentrism - Maled-centred, when 'normal' behaviour is judged according to a male standard (meaning that female behaviour is often judged to be 'abnormal' or 'deficient' by comparison). This leads to female behaviour being misunderstood, and at worst, pathologised.

⦁ Brescoll and Uhlman (2008) - Objected to the diagnostic category pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) on the grounds that it stereotypes female experience. Critics claim that PMS is a social construct which medicalises female emotions, trying to explain them in hormonal terms. Male anger, on the other hand, is seen as a rational response to external pressures.