4.2. The Biological Explanation Flashcards
What are chromosomes?
Biochemical units of heredity that govern development
Which chromosome determines sex?
23rd pair
Which chromsomes determine female sex?
XX
Which chromosomes determine male sex?
XY
What does the SRY gene determine?
Causes the androgen-testosterone to develop testes in the womb
What is the role of hormones?
Shape our behaviour and physical characteristics
What do hormones do prenatally?
Prenatally, hormones work on brain development and reproductive development.
What do hormones do at puberty?
A secondary burst of hormones occur (secondary characteristics)
What does testosterone do?
Controls male sex organ development and linked to aggression in both genders
AO3: Van de Poll
- injected female rats with testosterone
- led to increased aggression in both genders
What does oestrogen do?
Controls female sex organs and menstruation
What does PMT do?
Leads to increased emotion, irritability and aggression
What does oxytocin do?
- Controls lactation and bending
- Women stimulate higher levels than males -> explains female need for intimacy
What is Congenital Adrenal Hypoplasma
- A rare prenatal condition
- Increased levels of testosterone in females lead to ambiguous genitalia in new born girls
- Referred to as ‘Tom Boys’
Strength: Bruce/ Brenda study
- Dr Money - theory of neutrality
- Believed nurture overrides nature
- This case proved nature overrides nurture for our gender
- Penis burned off, brought up as female and then at puberty changed back to male, committed suicide art 38
Strength: Van Goozen
- Male -> female transexuals have decreased levels of aggression
- Female -> male transexuals have higher levels of aggression
- Demonstrates testosterone is linked to aggression and male ‘behaviour’
Weakness: Tricker
- Gave male pets 10 weekly injections of testosterone or a placebo.
- No significant differences were found in behaviour.
- Suggests that testosterone doesn’t post-natally lead to aggressive behaviour.
Weakness: deterministic
- Ignores SLT, the biological approach is 100% nature and ignores SLT explanations.
- There’s research to suggest our sex related behaviour is caused by observing and imitating role models in our environment.
- Therefore, this explanation cannot explain cultural differences in gender related behaviour.
Weakness: Reductionist
- This approach reduces the complexities of our gender down to genes, hormones and chromosomes.
- It ignores any thought processes as well as the influence our environment can have in shaping our behaviour.
