gender Flashcards
modal gender development
children who identify with the gender that aligns with their assigned sex
gender differences that are significant are still..
relatively small
gender similarities hypothesis
- boys and girls are more similar than different
- the common larger differences are seen with height, muscle mass, fat % and testosterone
gender differences: temperament
small to moderate difference
gender differences: cognitive
IQ = practically identical
Verbal = start out large (girls advantage) later in childhood:
- reading advantage is small
- writing advantage is medium
spatial skills (boys outperform) difference increases through childhood
e.g. mental rotation
gender differences: academic
GCSE level: girls out preform boys
girls outperform boys in all subjects except for maths
- big differences in subjects they choose to study
gender differences: socially
large effects in self-regulation
girls: more compliant, better able to resit temptation, show more empathy and sympathy
other interpretations: girls are better at pro-social lying?
gender differences: aggression
direct aggression: present from young with no differences, but decreases in girls quicker than in boys
indirect aggression: so differences when young, girls show more in adolescence
direct aggression
physical or verbal acts designed to harm
indirect aggression
social exclusion and gossip designed to damage social relationships
biological influences of gender: evolutionary approaches
- behavioural tendencies have evolved that offer a reproductive advantage
girls: concentrate in fostering close relationships, avoiding conflict and controlling impulses > raise healthy children
boys: more physically active and aggressive > attract mate
biological influences of gender: hormones
- certain hormone (CAH) female exposure in womb go on to play in more ‘masculine ways’
biological influences of gender: behavioural genetic approach
- twins early development study
- parents asked bout their children’s sex-typed behaviour at ages 3 and 4
- toys e.g. guns, dolls
- activities e.g. house and dressing up or soldier
- characteristics e.g. rough and tumble vs likes pretty things
- boys score higher in sex-type behaviour across twins and siblings
- MZ twins high correlation of same behaviour
- DZ still high but lower (must have a genetic component)
- girls: heritability explains a high % of behaviours
- boys: environment explains a higher % of behaviour
- something different in gender socialisation
socialisation theories: social learning theory: Mischel
- children learn gender roles because social agents teach them
- child is passive
key processes:
reinforcement: encouraged vs discouraged behaviour - fathers more positive to same sex behaviour and critical of other-sex behaviour in pre schoolers
modelling: BUT children’s gender-role behaviour is not strongly correlated with their parents’ behvaiour
socialisation reinforcement
encouraged vs discouraged behaviour
- fathers more positive to same sex behaviour and critical of other-sex behaviour in pre schoolers
modelling
BUT children’s gender-role behaviour is not strongly correlated with their parents’ behaviour
socialisation theories: social cognitive theory: Bussey and Bandura
- social and cognitive factors incorporated
3 key influences:
- modelling in immediate environment
- enactive experience
- direct tuition
children’s outcome expectancies: what sort of behaviour they learn they’re supposed to perform
socialisation theories: problems
- does not account for developmental changes in children’s gender stereotyped beliefs
- reinforcement and modelling haven’t been supported by evidence
- does acknowledge role of social environment
cognitive theories: cognitive developmental theory: Kohlberg
- understanding gender develops alongside general cognitive development and initiates gender development
- but children do prefer same-sex toys before they have a full understanding of gender
stages of gender understanding Slaby and Frey
1 - gender identity: ability to label each by 2.5 years
2 - gender stability: ability to understand sex is stable over time by 3.5 years
3 - gender constancy: understand permanence of sex by 6 years
cognitive theories: gender schema theories
gender identity has a central role rather than gender constancy
networks of gender-related info guide gender stereotyped processing and behaviour -> helps us process efficiently
e.g. draw a scientist = high proportion of males drawn, and most women were drawn by girls
gender schemas development
- develop own sex schema before other sex schema
- no difference in they way each gender understands genders
cognitive theories: problems
- does not address why males and females are valued differently - e.g. girls can be tom boys but girls can’t be feminine
