Gender

Question 1

What is the difference between the definitions of sex and gender?

Answer 1

Sex- A person’s biological status, defined by their chromosomes, it cannot be changed.

Gender- Physiological and cultural differences between males and females including roles, attitudes and behaviours.

Question 2

Explain the case of the Batista boys.

Answer 2

Born and brought up as females, as they had female genitalia when they hit puberty they became male. They reported no issues adapting to their new roles showing gender is innate as they had no issues adopting their new roles as boys.

Question 3

What are sex-role stereotypes?

Answer 3

A set of shared expectations that people within a society or culture believe is acceptable or usual behaviour for males and females.

Question 4

Define androgyny.

Answer 4

Equal levels of masculine and feminine traits.

Question 5

Explain the Bem sex role inventory.

Answer 5

Bem created a questionnaire with 60 characteristics 20 masculine, 20 feminine and 20 neutral, and scored them.

Question 6

What chromosomes make someone a female or male?

Answer 6

Male- XY
Female- XX

Question 7

What does the SRY gene do?

Answer 7

Cause the formation of testes from undifferentiated gonads.

Question 8

What hormone is linked to making women more loving?

Answer 8

Oxytocin.

Question 9

Explain David Reimer’s case.

Answer 9

A pair of MZ twins.

David had an accident penis was removed and he was raised as a girl.

Hated his life and contemplated suicide.

He was told he was a boy and felt much more at ease with himself.

Question 10

What is Kleinefelters syndrome?

Answer 10

When a boy has XXY chromosomes, less facial hair, poorly developed language skills, gangly and clumsy, reacts badly to stress.

Question 11

What is Turner’s syndrome?

Answer 11

When a girl has a missing or altered X chromosome, absence of a menstrual cycle, looks immature, good reading ability but bad at maths.

Question 12

ISC

What was Kholberg’s gender development theory?

Answer 12

Stage 1 (2/3 years): Can identify yourself as a boy or girl, can identify others around you as boy or girl but do not realise gender is fixed.

Stage 2 (4/5 years): Children realise they will always be the same gender, however superficially male or female features still confuse them, and they believe activities can change genders.

Stage 3 (6+ years): Children realise gender stays consistent over time and activity for themselves and others, still find a man in a dress unusual but seek out ‘gender appropriate’ role models.

Question 13

How does the psychodynamic approach theorise that people get their gender development?

Answer 13

Through the Oedipus or Electra complex.

Question 14

How does SLT think gender is learnt?

Answer 14

Through observing others and their actions as well as environmental influence.

Question 15

How do the mediational process explain gender development?

Answer 15

ARMM

Attention
Retention
Motor reproduction
Motivation

Question 16

Explain Mead’s cross-cultural research

Answer 16

She researched three tribes on the island of New Guinea and found that different tribes had different gender norms some both genders were feminine others both were masculine and one the women were dominant.

Question 17

Explain Gender Dysphoria.

Answer 17

Feeling as though you are trapped in the wrong body.

Question 18

Explain the social constructionism theory.

Answer 18

Argues that gender concepts are invented and reinforced by societies.

Question 19

Explain the Psychoanalytic theory.

Answer 19

If a male experiences extreme stranger anxiety from his mother he almost becomes one with the mother and so will experience GD later down the line

Question 20

What is a dimorphic brain area and link it to gender dysphoria?

Answer 20

Areas of the brain which are biologically different between males and females, some researchers have found in people with GD these areas are abnormal size for their original gender and closer to that of the gender the wish to be.