CHP 5 TB: Genes, Culture, and Gender

Question 1

We not only share common biology but common…

Answer 1

behavioral tendencies

universal behaviors and language patterns

Question 2

Humans are intensely…

Answer 2

• social
• we join groups and conform
• recognize distinctions of social status

Question 3

Where do universal behaviors rise from?

Answer 3

from our biological similarity

they define human nature

Question 4

Shipman 2003

Answer 4

• we are all african
• people migrated from Africa to various parts of the world due to climate change/food availability
• those who went north developed lighter skin pigments compared to those who stayed in africa

Question 5

Define Natural selection

Answer 5

the evolutionary process by which heritable traits that best enable organisms to survive/reproduce in environments are passed to the next generations

basically, the traits that best promote survival and reproduction of an organism in an environment are passed to their offspring/next generation

Question 6

Name the key points of
“natural selection enables evolution”

Answer 6

• organisms have numerous/various offspring
• offspring compete for survival in environment
• certain biological/behavioral INCREASE their chance of survival/reproduction
• offspring that do survive/reproduce end up passing those traits onto the next gen
• general population characteristics change over time as well

Question 7

Natural selection genes that increase survival long enough for reproduction become….

Answer 7

MORE ABUNDANT

Question 8

define evolutionary psychology

Answer 8

the study of the evolution of cognition/behavior using principles natural selection

Charles Darwin 1859, natural selection

Question 9

evol. psych

Why are humans the way they are…

Answer 9

because nature selected those who had more advantageous traits

Question 10

evol. psych

What does natural selection predispose…

Answer 10

it predisposes psychological traits and social behaviors that enhance preservation and the spread of genes

Question 11

Evol. psych

What are human brains the product of?

Answer 11

they are the product of what helped our hunter-gatherer ancestors survive

Question 12

What do we long for from our ancestors in terms of evolutionary psychology?

Answer 12

we long for the wahtever helped them survive, reproduce and nurture their offspring to –> survive/reproduce

even negative emotions

Question 13

What is one of the most researched areas in SOCIAL PSYCH?

Answer 13

gender differences

Question 14

Gender

Define sex

Answer 14

• biological categories (male/female)
• based on chromosomes, genitals and secondary sex characteristics

biological assignment

Question 15

define gender

Answer 15

• Refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women

what do i feel i am? no based on biology

Question 16

What has changed with the terms** sex and gender** with time?

Answer 16

• these terms used to be very rigid but not anymore
• doctors advise that surgery for intersex children be postponed until they express their identity
• **some people identify as gender fluid or non binary **

time has changed these terms basically

Question 17

Define transgender

Answer 17

• someone whose psychological sense of being male or female differs from their birth sex

Question 18

gender and mating preferences

Describe male preferences in mating

Answer 18

• have unlimited reproductive capabilities
• favor youthful appearances and characterisitics that suggest fertility
• stronger sex drive because it is a cheaper investment
• men compete with other men for chances to win genetic sweepstakes (sending their genes into the future)

men look to reproduce widely not wisely like women

Question 19

gender and mating preferences

Describe female mating preferences

Answer 19

• look for signs of resources and commitment in mating partners
• look for men who can provide external resources and physical protection for offspring
• mating is a great investment in each child and reproduction capabilities are limited

men will strive to provide what a woman wants in a partner

Question 20

gender and mating preferences

What do both men and women look for in partners

Answer 20

kindness, love, and mutual attraction

Question 21

gender and hormones

What are the two ways sex differences are rooted biologically?

Answer 21

Hormones and Role Demands

Question 22

gender and hormones

What is the hormone that plays a crucial part in differences in dominance and aggression?

Answer 22

Testosterone
* it is more prevalent in men than women

men tend to be more aggressive (influenced by T)

Question 23

What is the GENETIC difference between men and women?

Answer 23

differ on only 1 chromosome out of 46
the y chromosome (male)
-which directs testicle formation

Question 24

gender and hormones

What does Hines 2004, and Belts et al., 2011 state?

Answer 24

Girls exposed to more T in fetal development tend to exhibit more tomboyish behavior, and resemble males in their career preferences

Question 25

# Reflections on evolutionary psychology What do critics suggest about evolutionary psychology

Answer 25

that they can hardly ever lose if they are employing hindsight bias

Question 26

# Culture and Behavior Define Culture

Answer 26

enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to next ## Footnote shared human biology enables cultural diversity

Question 27

# Culture and Behavior What is the hallmark of our species

Answer 27

our capacity to learn and adapt

Question 28

# Culture and Behavior Roy Baumeister 2005

Answer 28

* cultural animal book * culture is a better way of being social * culture facilitates our survival and reproduction * culture helps us become something MORE than the sum of talents, efforts, and other individ blessings

Question 29

What is important to remember about culture and biology

Answer 29

That they are two seperate influences

Question 30

# Define the science of **epigenetics**

Answer 30

study of environmental influences that occur without DNA change

Question 31

# Culture and Behavior Describe some important aspects of **Cultural Diversity**

Answer 31

* diversity of languages, customs and expressive behaviors confirms our behavior is* socially programed NOT hardwired* * confronting another culture is sometimes startling (**culture shock)** * **being around diverse cultural backgrounds helps understand our own cultural influences**

Question 32

# Culture and Behavior Define Norms

Answer 32

Standards for accpeted and expected behavior ## Footnote proper behavior basically

Question 33

# Culture and Behavior Describe some important aspects to **norms**

Answer 33

* all cultures differ on these in some way but also have some accepted ideas about appropriate behavior * they can restrain/control us * learn about our own norms by visiting different cultures and seeing how they act

Question 34

What are some ways cultures differ in norms?

Answer 34

1. individual choices (individualistic vs collectivist cultures) 2. expressiveness and punctuality (latin america vs USA) 3. Rule following (very important in collectivist cultures) 4. personal space

Question 35

# Culture and Behavior Describe this study **Patterson & Lizuka 2007**

Answer 35

examined differences in pedestrian interactions (USA vs Japan) * observer stood and watched a passing interaction between an accomplice and participant * three observations were avoidance, glancing at accomplice or glancing and smiling * found that USA was more likely to reciprocate smiles ## Footnote * field experiment of 1000 participants

Question 36

# Culture and Behavior Describe **personal space** more

Answer 36

* we like to contain a buffer zone around our bodies (depends on culture but also familiarity) * norms changed with personal space in covid * this differs on individual level too

Question 36

# Culture and Behavior Describe rule following in collectivist cultures

Answer 36

* very important * more likely to stigmatize people who are seen as different * historically more likely to experience threats if rules are broken

Question 37

# Culture and Behavior Judith Rich Harris and **peer transmitted culture**

Answer 37

how traditions are preserved across generations * children/teens care more about what their friends think * Parenting matters in terms of values, political affiliations etc but not really much on personality traits * **most of it is peer influence aka friends not family** ## Footnote wrote the book *the nurture assumptions*

Question 38

# Cultural similarity What are the five universal dimensions of social beliefs ## Footnote Leung and Bond 2004

Answer 38

* Cynicism * Social Complexity * Reward for application * spirituality * fate control ## Footnote how much we are similar is usually larger than how we differ

Question 39

# Culture and gender Define gender roles

Answer 39

a set of norms for males and females ## Footnote what it means to be a man and woman differs culture to culture

Question 40

# Culture and Gender What do Wood and Early say about gender roles (2000,2002)

Answer 40

culture reinforces gender roles that may have originated from biological demands * women needed to stay close to home so they gathered * men hunted because they didnt have to

Question 41

# Gender and Culture what has men physcial strength led to in society

Answer 41

PATRIARCHY

Question 42

# Gender and culture Describe the journey of gender roles over time

Answer 42

* **1996** saw a big switch * women are seen as more competent than men compared to past * gender gap in household chores flipped * women were becoming doctors/lawyers * many gender difference still exist but time bends gender roles as we can see

Question 43

# Differences in men and women What are some areas men and women differ

Answer 43

1. independence vs connectedness 2. Vocations 3. Family relations 4. Smiling 5. Empathy

Question 44

# Men and women describe this difference independence vs connectedness

Answer 44

* Women play and talk in smaller groups (more emphasis on close relationships) * Women tend to describe themselves in relational terms * womens language is usually warmer, compassionate men are opposite * women are more aware of how their actions affect people * men value independence more compared to women

Question 45

# men and women Describe this difference more **Vocation**

Answer 45

women are more interested in jobs dealing with people, and less math intensive men like jobs to do with things, and jobs that enhance inequalities, value earnings more as well

Question 46

# men and women describe this difference more **empathy**

Answer 46

women are described as more empathetic than men ## Footnote could be due to the fact women are better at encoding (reading) emotions

Question 47

Which is the more dominant/aggressive sex?

Answer 47

men * also seen as more aggressive/driven * also why they are more considered with femininity than women * women commit more indirect forms of aggression (gossip) ## Footnote men also have higher sex drive

Question 48

Alice Eagly and wendy wood **social role theory of gender differences in social behavior**

Answer 48

1. biology and culture interact 2. create divison labor between sexes 3. creates gender role expectations and gender related skills/beliefs 4. which in sum creates gender differences in behavior

Question 49

# Culture What are the 4 main culture influence

Answer 49

1. emotions 2. attitudes 3. beliefs 4. behaviors

Question 50

Define each 1. gender identity 2. attraction 3. expression 4. sex

Answer 50

1. who you feel you are 2. who you are attracted to 3. what you express 4. biological

Question 51

Ross Buck 1974

Answer 51

senders and receivers * watch highly emotional videos and videotaped * sender = they look at emotional signals you are sending in videotapes * receiver = they are looking at people who are given tapes and asked to guess what people are watching * women were easier to read vs men * they rated feeling the same in their emotional states but men were more confusing ## Footnote women express more emotion and better at encoding

Question 52

Weigand et al., 2021 study

Answer 52

diary study of men and women * 75 days of assessments * women were more expressive with emotions (this does not mean they are MORE emotional)

Question 53

gender and communication?

Answer 53

* women engage in more tentative speech like being uncertain (im not sure...), hedges (i think...), tag questions(...right?) ## Footnote this reinforces stereotypes (less competent and nicer)

Question 54

# gender and communication Lakoff 1973

Answer 54

proposed that differences in communication stem from the different roles men/women hold in society men --> dominant positions --> assertive speech women -->subordiante positions --> tentative speech

Question 55

# gender and communication Leaper & Robnett (2011) | adding to lakoff

Answer 55

meta analysis of gender differences in tentative language * womens tendency to indulge in tentative language was due to interpersonal sensitivty instead of lack of assertiveness ## Footnote sample size of 29 studies with 39 independent samples

Question 56

# men and women differences in non verbal communication

Answer 56

1. eye contact (women make less eye contact, but are stared at more) 2. body language (women take up less space) 3. Distance/touch (women are more touchy) 4. smiles (women tend to smile more and in a non duchenne way or fake way)