Question 1: Define gender bias in the context of psychological research.

Answer: Gender bias occurs when researchers or theories favor one gender over another, leading to unfair or unrepresentative conclusions about males or females.

Question 2: Describe one example of gender bias in a well-known psychological theory or study.

Answer: An example is the early research on attachment which often focused primarily on mothers and overlooked the role of fathers, implying that only mothers are responsible for nurturing.

Question 3: Explain why gender bias can affect the validity of psychological research.

Answer: Gender bias can skew results by making findings unrepresentative of the entire population, leading to incorrect assumptions or stereotypes about males and females.

Question 4: Identify two ways psychologists can reduce gender bias in their research.

Answer: Psychologists can use balanced samples of males and females and ensure their hypotheses are free from stereotypes or assumptions based on gender.

Question 5: Discuss one example of how gender bias has historically influenced mental health diagnoses.

Answer: Historically, depression was often seen as more common in women, which led to overdiagnosis in females and possible underdiagnosis in males due to stereotypes about emotional expression.

Question 6: Sketch a simple diagram illustrating how gender stereotypes might influence the interpretation of research data.

Answer: A correct sketch would show a flowchart with 'Gender Stereotypes' influencing 'Research Interpretation,' leading to biased conclusions, with arrows indicating the influence.

Question 7: Describe a real-world consequence of gender bias in psychological practice.

Answer: One consequence is that therapists may overlook or misinterpret symptoms in one gender, leading to inadequate treatment or misdiagnosis.

Question 8: Explain the term 'gender stereotype' and give an example relevant to psychology.

Answer: A gender stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified idea about the characteristics of males or females. For example, believing that women are naturally more nurturing.

Question 9: Identify and explain one ethical issue related to gender bias in psychological research.

Answer: Gender bias can lead to unfair treatment of participants, such as excluding one gender from studies, which violates principles of fairness and equal treatment.

Question 10: Propose one strategy a psychology researcher could use to ensure their study is free from gender bias.

Answer: Researchers could ensure their sample includes equal numbers of males and females and analyze data separately for each gender to check for differences.