22 - Sex and Gender Flashcards
Sex v gender
Historically, sex born with and gender social construct. Now often used interchangeably.
Gender typing terms
Process by which child gets gender appropriate behaviors for sex. Gender identity - perceptions of self as male/female. Gender-role preferences - desire to possess gender typed characteristics. Gender stability - children get belief that gender is stable thru life. Gender roles - patterns of appearance and behavior
Gender stereotypes
Cultural or group norms that determine gender specific characteristics. Develop at around 2 (spend more time looking at males doing female activities or females doing male). Knowledge gets rigid from 3-5 and is inflexible up to 8. From 9, realize that some males do female activities and vice versa. There are some gender diffs in behavior but small effect size.
Girls>boys in childhood
Looking at faces, gaze, recognizing and processing expression, emotional regulation, expressing sadness, verbal, compliance, nurturing, empathic, ask and give help, self-disclosure
Boys>girls in childhood
Moving objects, visual-spatial skills, gross motor skills, strength, physical activity, aggression, competitiveness, lack of inhibition, risk-taking
Gender intensification
At puberty, adolescents further diverge in gender roles. But it appears more recently there is less gender intensification, perhaps due to less constraint to gender stereotypes
Gender differences in gender typing
Less culturally accepted for boys to have feminine characteristics. Pressure for boys to conform, and greater likelihood for rejection when nonconforming
Gender differences in hormone production
Altering amount of testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone during pregnancy can shift sex differences in behavior. Fetally androgenized girls
Male vs female brain differences
Size, volumes of brain regions, ratios of white to grey in different regions, differences in activation, receptor levels, connectivity, lateralization. By wary about interpreting functional significance. Some suggest the sex differences actually reduce behavioral differences between genders/
Cognitive development of gender typing
Gender identity (2-3) -> Gender stability/schemas (4-5)-> Gender consistency (6-7)
Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory of Gender
Children learn the traits which they expect will lead to rewards from others. By 4 years, become self-regulators of gender norms. Gender development is highly dependent on social relationships.
Parents and gender-typing
Parents act as role-models. Also consciously and unconsciously reinforce gender stereotypes. For example, fathers talk more supportively to girls and are harsher to boys. Fathers more likely to play with sons. Parents are more likely to cuddle and do artistic stuff with daughters. Sons encouraged more to develop independence. Promote competitiveness in boys
Sibling effect on gender typing
Children with older brothers tend to develop more masculine. Children with older sisters tend to develop more feminine
Gender stereotyping and media
Media generally extremely gender stereotyped. Correlation between TV viewing and gender-stereotyped views
