Ch. 13: Gender and Development

Question 1

Define gender stereotypes. In North America, what are males and females seen as?

Answer 1

Beliefs about how males and females differ in personality traits, interests, and behaviours.

Males seen as instrumental (act on the world and influence it), females seen as expressive (describe emotional functioning, value interpersonal relationships).

Question 2

By what age do children have extensive knowledge of gender-stereotyped activities?

Answer 2

4

Question 3

During elementary-school years, children learn that traits and occupations associated with males have what?

Answer 3

Higher status.

Question 4

Older children see stereotypes as what? What do girls in particular think?

Answer 4

General guidelines that are not necessarily binding.

Girls tend to be more flexible about stereotypes.

Question 5

Adolescents from middle-class homes tend to have more _____ ideas about gender than those from lower-class homes.

Answer 5

Flexible.

Question 6

Describe differences in physical development and behaviour between boys and girls.

Answer 6

Boys tend to be bigger, stronger, faster, more active.

Girls tend to be healthier and better on tasks requiring fine-motor coordination.

Question 7

Are there any differences between boys and girls relating to verbal ability?

Answer 7

Previous research showed girls excel, less likely to have language-related difficulties.

Recent meta-analyses show no significant female advantage other than for verbal fluency.

Question 8

Are there any differences between boys and girls relating to spatial ability and spatial memory?

Answer 8

Spatial ability: boys tend to surpass girls at mental rotation, determining relations between objects in space.

Spatial memory: females tend to have better memory for spatial locations of objects.

Question 9

Are there any differences between boys and girls relating to math?

Answer 9

Girls tend to perform better on tests in elementary schools, but reverses in high school and college. Recent meta-analyses show no difference.

Question 10

Boys are more likely to be physically aggressive. Provide four reasons for this.

Answer 10

Androgens.

Boys are exposed to aggressive male models in media.

Parents tend to be more tolerant of aggressive behaviour in sons than daughters.

Girls tend to use relational aggression than physical aggression.

Question 11

Girls tend to be better than boys at expressing emotions and interpreting others’ emotions. What is a consequence of this?

Answer 11

Adolescent girls more likely than boys to be depressed.

Question 12

Gender differences represent differences in _____ scores for groups of males and females.

Answer 12

Average.

Question 13

What is a frank fact about gender differences?

Answer 13

Differences are relatively small, many abilities and behaviours show no differences.

Question 14

Influence of culture has an impact on what?

Answer 14

Expectations on ability and vocational opportunities.

Question 15

Parents treat sons and daughters alike except for what?

Answer 15

Behaviour related to gender roles.

Question 16

Parents tend to be more positive when children play with what?

Answer 16

Toys typical for their sex.

Question 17

Fathers are more likely to encourage behaviour associated with what?

Answer 17

Gender stereotypes.

Question 18

What role do teachers tend to play?

Answer 18

Make gender salient in the classroom and interact more with boys than girls.

Question 19

Once children learn rules about gender-typical play they often what?

Answer 19

React harshly to perceived violations.

Question 20

Between 2 and 3 years most children begin to prefer playing with _____.

Answer 20

Same-sex peers.

Question 21

What behaviour reinforces boys learning primarily from boys and girls from girls, reinforcing gender differences in play?

Answer 21

Early segregation.

Question 22

According to gender-schema theory, once children learn their gender, they what?

Answer 22

Pay more attention to objects and activities that are considered gender appropriate.

Question 23

What percentage of natal males and natal females with gender dysphoria do not continue to have it when they grow older?

Answer 23

2-30% natal males.

12-50% natal females.

Question 24

For natal males for whom the dysphoria does not persist, what percentage self-identify as gay?

Answer 24

63-100%

Question 25

For natal females for whom the dysphoria does not persist, what percentage self-identify as lesbian?

Answer 25

32-50%

Question 26

What does the amount of testosterone in amniotic fluid predict?

Answer 26

Child’s preference for masculine sex-typed activities.

Question 27

Describe what happens to girls exposed to congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) during prenatal development and their play style as children.

Answer 27

Exposed to large amounts of androgen during prenatal development, tend to prefer masculine activities and male playmates.

Question 28

What three elements interact to form someone’s gender identity?

Answer 28

Biology, socializing influence of others and media, and child’s own efforts to understand gender.

Question 29

List three advantages and a disadvantage to androgyny in children.

Answer 29

Advantages: more flexible and adaptable; higher self-esteem, better adjusted.

Disadvantage: possible peer rejection.

Question 30

Children can be taught to have fewer stereotyped views of occupations and household activities in the _____.

Answer 30

Short-term.

Question 31

Parents may influence children by not being what? Parents should base decisions about toys, activities, and chores on what?

Answer 31

Gender bound themselves.

On individual child, not child’s sex.

Question 32

Children can’t be sheltered from forces outside the home that shape gender roles, but parents can what?

Answer 32

Encourage critical thinking about gender-based choices of others.

Question 33

When girls and boys play together, what behaviours are seen?

Answer 33

Girls tend to be enabling (actions and remarks support others), whereas boys tend to be constricting.

Question 34

According to Lawrence Kohlberg, full understanding of gender develops gradually and involves what three elements?

Answer 34

Gender labelling: by age 2 or 3, children understand they are either boys or girls and label themselves accordingly.

Gender stability: during preschool years, children understand that gender is stable - boys become men, girls become women.

Gender consistency: between 4-7, most children understand maleness and femaleness do not change over situations or according to personal wishes.

Question 35

When children understand labels, stability, and consistency, they have mastered _____.

Answer 35

Gender constancy.

Question 36

Androgynous people are rated high on what dimensions?

Answer 36

Both instrumental and expressive.