Atypical Gender Development Flashcards
What is atypical gender development?
The disorder referred to by the clinical label Gender Identity Disorder (GID) or gender dysphoria
What is GID/
The condition whereby the external characteristics of the body are perceived as the opposite to the psychological experience of ones self as male or female
Although hard to estimate how many is GID thought to affect?
1/5000
When does most gender dysphoria occur?
In childhood and the majority does not persist after puberty
What happens with those that it does persist after puberty with?
It can lead to feelings of depression as well as self-harm and suicide
What can be done to treat GID?
Masculinising or feminising hormones can be taken to alter physical features, with gender reassignment being the ultimate remedy (since 2000 the NHS has performed 850 gender reassignment surgeries)
How do social explanations see the acquisition of GID occurring?
See it as being learned - e.g. by operant conditioning where individuals are rewarded for exhibiting cross-gender behaviour
What do many young children do?
Experiment with cross gender behaviour e.g. infant boys wearing dresses or jewellery
What does the learning theory argue the role of parents is?
Suggests the parents of gender dysphorics may have reinforced the conditioning by encouraging and complimenting the children for such behaviours. These family reactions may contribute to the conflict between anatomical sex and acquired sexual identity (occurs more with boys as GD more associated with boys)
How else does the social theory suggest GD may be acquired?
Learning through observation and imitation of individuals modelling cross gender behaviours
What is a strength of the biological explanation?
It is more recent than social explanations and more grounded in evidence
How does the genetic explanation see the condition v the biochemical explanation?
Genetic=As an inherited abnormality
Biochemical = sees a role for hormonal imbalances during foetal growth in the womb and in later childhood development
It may be that the two explanations combine with hormonal imbalances being genetically influenced
How is the genetic explanation investigated?
Gene-profiling studies are performed to try and identify genetic material common to those exhibiting the condition
Other research methods have utilised twin studies to assess the heritability of the condition and post mortem studies to search for structural brain differences in those with GID
What has attention centred on in the biological explanation?
Gene variants on the androgen receptor which influences the action of testosterone and is involved in the masculinisation of the brain
What does the hormonal explanation focus on?
During the third week of pregnancy there is a release of significant amounts of male hormones from the newly formed male testes, with an additional release around 2 and 12 weeks after birth. Such male hormone surges must occur at the right time and in sufficient amounts of masculinisation of an infant to develop. It may be that if this process is not carried out successfully through a disorder in the mothers endocrine system, maternal stress or illness that interferes with hormonal levels, GID may eventually arise
A similar process may occur in females- though with more involvement of oestrogen
What was Gladue’s research into atypical gender development?
Reported that there were few, if any hormonal differences between gender-dysphoric men, heterosexual men and homosexual men, as evidence against the influence of hormones on GD. As similar results are found with women it suggests a social explanation may be more fitting
What was Reker’s research into atypical gender development?
Reported that in 70 gender-dysphoric boys there was more evidence of social factors than biological ones such as the lack of a stereotypically male role-model, suggesting that SL factors play a role in the cognition
What was Beijsteerveldt’s research into atypical gender development?
Used self-report data supplied by mothers to assess cross-gender behaviour in 14000 Dutch twins aged 7-10. At both ages, the prevalence for cross-gender behaviour was greater in MZ than DZ twins and the use of statistical modelling techniques showed that 70% of the variance in the tendency for cross-gender behaviour was due to genetic factors, suggesting a biological explanation
What was Zucker’s research into atypical gender development?
Performed a longitudinal study on gender-dysphoric females between 2-3 years who had been referred to a clinic. Only 12% were still gender dysphoric at 18, supporting the idea that the majority of people displaying gender dysphoria only do so in the short term
What was Hare et al’s research into atypical gender development?
Examined gene samples from male gender dysphorics andnon-dysphorics and found a correlation between gender dysphoria and variant of the androgen receptor gene, implying a biological explanation
What was Garcia-Falgueras and Swaab’s research into atypical gender development?
Compared post-mortem data from 17 deceased individual who had undergone reassignment surgery with 25 controls to find that the hypothalamic uncinated nucleus brains and was similar in the one female to male gender reassignment participant to male controls. This supports the idea that GID has a biological origin with such structural differences possible occurring due to abnormal hormonal activity during masculinisation and feminisation of the brain
Why is the social explanation convincing?
Conditioning experiences may explain why more children than adults identify with GID. Early life experiences are dominated by family so cross-gender behaviours are more tolerated within the family. As the individual grows up, others outside the family exert influence, making it more likely that an individual will be punished for behaving in such a way
What does Hines argue? (E)
The strong persistent desire to change sex and undergo formidable obstacles points to a biological explanation
What does evidence increasingly suggest?
That hormones and genetics are the main cause of GID, however there is little evidence to suggest a totally biological explanation
What does Bennett point out?
That while SLT explains the development of cross-gender behaviours, it cannot explain the strength of the beliefs that individual possesses concerning being in the wrong sex or the resistance of such beliefs to therapy - this implies a biological explanation
Why does care have to be taken when conducting research into GID?
It is a sensitive area so care must be taken when investigating the phenomenon to not cause psychological harm to what are often vulnerable people
What else finally implies a biological explanation?
The fact the vast majority of people with GID who are given hormonal treatment to reduce dissonance between their phenotype and gender implies a biological explanation (as a biological treatment is being used)
