Biological Explanations Of Gender Identity Disorder Flashcards
What is gender identity disorder?
People feel gender dysphoria. They identify with the opposite sex they were identified as at birth. Want to live as members of the opposite sex and dress like them and use mannerisms like them. Recognised in the DSM-5 as a psychological disorder as it causes stress and discomfort.
What is the criteria in the DSM-5 of GID?
Marked difference between expressed gender and gender others would assign them (lasting more than 6 months), in children the desire to be the other gender is present and verbalised, condition causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or Other areas of functioning.
Explain the brain-sex theory.
This is unusual development of the brain. There are some areas that are dimorphic in males and females. The BSTc is 40% larger in males than females and contains twice the number of neurons. In GID BSTc size correlates with psychological gender rather than biological sex.
Evaluate the brain sex theory.
S: post mortem of 6 male to female transsexuals found the BSTc size was found to be similar and had similar amount of neurons to a female.
C: researchers found differences in BSTc volume didn’t emerge until adulthood, whereas most transsexuals experience GID in childhood.
Explain genetics as an explanation of GID.
Some people have genes that could trigger GID. A study investigated tHe DNA of 112 male to female transsexuals. Found a variant of the androgen receptor gene which reduces the action of testosterone for example by undermasculinising the brain in the womb.
Evaluate the role of genetics in GID.
S: 23 MZ pairs and 23 DZ pairs: 39% concordance in MZ twins and 0% in DZ.
C: cannot separate the effects of nature and nurture on twins. MZ generally raised together in a similar fashion, explaining high concordance rate.
I: socially sensitive: transsexuals may be more accepted due to a biological basis but they could be at risk of harm if they are found to be biologically predisposed.
