Child development - Sex and Gender

Question 1

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Answer 1

Sex - male/female is a person’s biological status

Gender - masculine/feminine is a learned or cultural status

Question 2

How do hormones influence gender identity?

Answer 2

1. Pre-natal hormones
2. Development of male or female genitalia
3. Parents assign as male or female & raise accordingly
4. Gender identity

Question 3

What are disorders of sexual development? (DSD)

Answer 3

When reproductive or sexual anatomy not standard for female or male
Real biological variation at birth, pubity or later. Result of a variety of medical conditions and is often highly stigmatised

Question 4

How do parents influence gender identity?

Answer 4

As role models, through child-parent interactions and through gender appropriate toys and activities

Question 5

What is the social learning theory?

Answer 5

Rewards for ‘masculine’ behaviour and punishment for ‘feminine’ behaviour
Imitating males leads to male gender identity

Question 6

What is the cognitive development theory?

Answer 6

male gender identity leads to masculine behaviour

Question 7

Where is the ability to understand different gender concepts acquired from?

Answer 7

age 2-3 years for gender identity: who is a boy and who is a girl?
age 4 years for gender stability: will you be a mummy or daddy?
age 4-5 years for gender constancy: boys don’t change into girls by wearing dresses

Question 8

Who/what shapes gender?

Answer 8

1. Family
2. Peers - encourage separation, prejudice, difference
3. School - structure, teacher behaviour
4. Media - books, magazines, TV

Question 9

Explain some gender differences in psychological health?

Answer 9

More men than women develop substance dependency
More women than men develop depression
More women than men develop eating disorders