Gamma bias in the Russia-Ukraine war

What is Gamma Bias?

In Cognitive Distortion in Thinking About Gender Issues: Gamma Bias and the Gender Distortion Matrix (Seager & Barry, 2019), the authors hypothesize about a "gender distortion matrix". This matrix suggests a subconscious bias that magnifies gender differences when these differences propel us to respond favorably (alpha bias) and minimizes gender differences when these differences push us to respond disfavorably (beta bias) to women. Gamma bias, a tendency to magnify some gender differences while minimizing others, combines both alpha and beta bias.

The gender distortion matrix describes examples of gamma bias, i.e., situations in which aspects of our perceptions of men and women are MAGNIFIED or ^minimized.

How does it apply to the current situation in Ukraine?

In the following listing, comments from TikTok taken from this Daily Mail article are in ^{small font} while articles are italicized. Before reading keep in mind that (a) all men from 18 to 60 are forced to fight while women are given free choice and (b) 32,000 women serve in the Ukrainian army of the 12,496,016 women aged 18 to 60 (as of January 1, 2021) which is only roughly 1 in 400 eligible (= aged 18 to 60) women.

• DOING
  • GOOD (celebration)
    • magnification – females doing good things is magnified: Washington Post – The strength of Ukrainian women is on display, BBC News – Ukraine conflict: The women making Molotov cocktails to defend their city, ^{"several women died the other day fight for ukraine but ofc you aren't bothering a quick google"}, ^{"my guy there are many women fighting in the military rn while you're sitting there recording this tiktok", "Most yall boys would cry your first night in boot camp. I server four years, where were yall?"}, ^{"There are literally thousands of females staying to fight as well"}
    • minimization – males doing good things is minimized: There is little mention of the sacrifices the millions of men aged 18 to 60 are forced to make.
  • HARM (perpetration)
    • magnification – males doing harm is magnified: ^{"a man literally started that war......"}, ^{"and Who made it like that ah yes MEN ..."}, ^{"Bro, half the time men don't WANT us in the military, and if we do get in, we'll probably be sexually assaulted. But go off 😂"}
    • minimization – females doing harm is minimized: ^{"it's other men making that decision"}
• RECEIVING
  • GOOD (privilege)
    • magnification – the privilege of being male is magnified: I have not seen this yet, but if you know anything that would fit this category, let me know.
    • minimization – the privilege of being female is minimized: Daily Mail – Man is slammed for taking aim at FEMINISTS over Ukraine war - blasting them for staying 'quiet' when 'all the men have to stay and fight' while the 'children, elderly and women leave', ^{"you know women in Ukraine are actually joining the army right? it's no secret"}, ^{"this is actualyl incorrect, they are encouraging anyone to go fight, couples have been joining together to fight at war."}
  • HARM (victimhood)
    • magnification – female victimhood is magnified: UN news – Concern for women and children caught up in Ukraine conflict, supposed female victims are used to garner sympathy: BBC News – Ukraine invasion: Misleading claims continue to go viral
    • minimization – male victimhood is minimized: BBC News – Ukraine conflict: Children on their own, parents stay behind (article: "Those fleeing are mostly women and children, as all Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are being told to stay and fight - in some cases separated from their families."), ^{"people are literally dying and this is what you are worried about? 😟"}, ^{"did you do research? clearly not because if you DID, you would've known couples are going and joining together to protect their own homeland."}

What are other examples of Gamma Bias?

• DOING
  • GOOD (celebration)
    • magnification – females doing good things is magnified: a vast number of UN days are reserved to celebrate women for their gender rather than their actions
    • minimization – males doing good things is minimized: men do most dirty and dangerous but essential jobs, but this remains unremarked
  • HARM (perpetration)
    • magnification – males doing harm is magnified: "toxic masculinity"
    • minimization – females doing harm is minimized: "it's due to trauma"/"she was ill"
• RECEIVING
  • GOOD (privilege)
    • magnification – the privilege of being male is magnified: men's greater earnings are due to a sexist "wage gap"
    • minimization – the privilege of being female is minimized: it is unremarked that girls get better grades for the same work or that women go to university at a much higher frequency than men
  • HARM (victimhood)
    • magnification – female victimhood is magnified: "295 Palestinians, including 42 women and 73 children, were killed by Israeli security forces"
    • minimization – male victimhood is minimized: male domestic violence victims are neglected, male suicide victims are forgotten, the fact that being male is the most significant risk factor of dying from COVID-19 after age is ignored, Boko Haram kidnapped over 10,000 boys and made them into child soldiers compared to the 276 girls they kidnapped which created a public uproar with social media campaigns like "Bring Back our Girls", ...

Is there empirical evidence supporting the gamma bias hypothesis?

While the theory itself does not have direct support, there is ample tangential evidence of these cognitive and perceptual distortions in our thinking. Notably, the harm axis finds support in Man up and take it: Gender bias in moral typecasting (Reynolds et al., 2020). I suggest you look at my series of posts about the gender empathy gap for more information.