Chapter One - The Study of Gender

Question 1

What is the essentialist view ?

Answer 1

• Also known as Evolutionary Psychology
• believes that gender differences are biologically based, resistant to change
• Males generally subscribe

Question 2

What is the Biosocial View?

Answer 2

• A great deal of flexibility in gender-linked differences
• associated with social constructionism
• Females general subscribe

Question 3

Social Constructionism

Answer 3

Scientists working together

Question 4

What is the Minimalist View on gender differences?

Answer 4

They believe that there are few important differences between males and females

Question 5

What is the maximalist View on gender differences?

Answer 5

Believe that there are large fundamental differences

-many people who share a maximalist view also have an essentialist view

Question 6

What leads to stereotypes and exaggerated differences between the sexes?

Answer 6

perception of there only being two sexes

Question 7

Structuralists

History of the study of sex differences in psychology

Answer 7

• understanding of the structure of the conscious mind
• ignored individual differences (the general adult mind)
• excluded women in early research until the 1970s

Question 8

Functionalism

History of the study of sex differences in psychology

Answer 8

• Emphasis on how the mind functions (what the mind does)
• included a wider variety of subjects including children and women
• included individual differences in mental abilities and personal traits
• biological basis for sex differences
• findings supported prevailing cultural norms (women less intelligent, maternally orientated, and unlikely to be successful)
• criticized by female psychologists

Question 9

Behaviourism

History of the study of sex differences in psychology

Answer 9

• consistent with masculinity (tough minded and combative)
• focus on observable behaviour (mainly learning and memory in rats)
• interest in sex differences decreased
• ignored social factors despite a focus on nurture
• “womanless” psychology- failed to include women as participants and failed to examine gender related factors

Question 10

Psychoanalysis (Freud)

Answer 10

• emphasized the role of instinct and physiology in personality formation
• instincts provide the basic energy for personality and the child’s perception of anatomical differences is pivotal for personality formation. (Sex driven)

Question 11

Freud’s psychosexual approach for sex differences in personality

Answer 11

-emphasis on childhood experiences within the family to explain how physiology interacts with experience to influence personality development.

Question 12

Freud’s view on conflict in the family

Answer 12

• sexual attraction on opposite sex parent and hostility to the same sex parent (penis envy )
• resolved by identifying with same sex parent
• boys experience more conflict, leading to a more complete rejection and identification, resulting in men having stronger conscience and sense of social values than women (harder time with odepus complex)

Question 13

Liberal Feminists

Answer 13

• wanted to extend women’s rights and fight discrimination

e. g. rights in the work force

Question 14

Radical Feminists

Answer 14

• focused on the oppression of women
• entire social system requires a major change
• inherently masculine institutions and needs to be fixed

Question 15

Cultural Feminists

Answer 15

• Advocate on acceptance of traditionally feminine value

- social problems would disappear is women were in charge because women value caring and relationships

Question 16

Sex

Answer 16

Implies biological basis for differences

Question 17

Gender

Answer 17

Emphasizes social nature of differences, not a description of biology

Question 18

National Council of Women Psychologists

Answer 18

attempted several times to become division in the APA

Question 19

Psychology Constructs the Female

Answer 19

• Naomi Weisstein

- research on women contaminated with biases and failed to take context into consideration.

Question 20

APA Division 35- Society for the psychology of women

Answer 20

1973

• advancement of research on women and issues related to gender
• typically looked at white women (not traditionally diverse)

Question 21

Androcentric Bias

Answer 21

Lack of diversity sparked women to protest, men were the standard