Gender Bias Issues and Debates Essay

[AO1]

Differential treatment of men and women based on stereotypes rather than real differences is known as gender bias.

Psychology tends to be male-dominated, resulting in theories that represent a male world view (androcentrism).

Hare-Mustin & Maracek (1988)- found alpha and beta bias.

Alpha bias

Exaggerate differences between men and women and devalue one gender compared to the other. This was a criticism of Freud's psychodynamic theory because females are seen as inferior because they cannot resolve the Oedipus conflict as successfully as men do.

Beta bias

Ignores the difference between two groups and assumes the same for both genders. The needs of one gender are ignored (usually women). For example, it was assumed the fight-or-flight response was universal but women are more likely to tend and befriend.

Universality

Eradicating gender differences doesn't resolve gender bias and is a form of beta bias. The solution lies in universality: recognising differences but not the superiority of one gender over another. 

[AO3]

Bias in research methods

If researchers believe…