Gender Flashcards
when a psychologist uses the word sex what do they mean
the biological differences between male and females, sex is assigned from conception due to the inheritance of chromosomes
whats the chromosomes for males
XY
whats the chromosomes for females
XX
when a psychologist uses the word gender what do they mean
the psychological distinction between masculine and feminine personality traits, this may not match a persons biological sex
name 3 traits considered as masculine
aggressive, ambitious and dominant
name 3 traits considered as feminine
cheerful, soft spoken and gullible
what is a sex role stereotype
set of expectations of appropriate male and females behaviours shared by a culture, they are used as a short cut in understanding what behaviours are expected from ourselves and others
where do psychologists argue the sex role stereotypes come from
cognitive, SLT and psychodynamic processes
what is the name when someone had high male and female traits
androgynous
what is androgyny
having a high and balanced mix of both masculine and feminine personality traits,
What is it called when someone has low masculine and feminine traits
undifferentiated
what is meant by sex typed
when gender and sex match
what is cross-sex typed
when gender and sex don’t match
what did sandra bem do in 1974
developed the bem sex role inventory as a measure of androgyny
explain the bem sex role inventory
participants rate themselves on a 7 point scale on 60 characteristics, they them score on 2 dimensions (masculinity-femininity and androgynous-undifferentiated)
20 traits M, 20 F and 20 neutral
what did bem argue
that androgynous people are more psychologically healthier than others
what did bem find
From measuring 561 and 356 female students using BSRI questionnaires be, found
that most males and females were characterised with traits the same as their gender
but 34% male and 27% females were androgynous
what is an issue with bems study
didn’t include a category for those with few masculine or feminine traits, an undifferentiated type not added till 1981
what did Adams and Sherer find in 1985 to support bems theory of androgyny
studies 101 undergrad uni students gender using the BSRI with other personality trait tests
research found that both masculine males and females were better adjusted on measures of assertiveness and self-efficacy
name some positive evaluationS for bems BSRI
high test-retest reliability, when tested again participants tend to get the same score
separated gender identity and biological sex leading to positive social change reducing discrimination due to non gender normative behaviour
what is some negative evaluations of bems BSRI
lacks temporal validity, some traits don’t match todays current understanding of gender
BRSI score may oversimplify an individuals gender identity
established using western student sample
Smith and Lloyd (1978) study
(Evaluation of sex role stereotypes)
new mothers were recorded playing with a strangers 6-month old baby
these actor babies were male and female but dresses either in sex appropriate or cross-sex clothes
a range of toys were provided that were masculine, feminine or neutral
new mothers encouraged physical activity in males more than females
Smith and Lloyd (1978) study findings
suggests adults do hold sex role stereotypes about appropriate gendered behaviour and socialise children into that behaviour from infancy
what is gender dysphoria
when people feel that their gender and sex don’t match
when does gender dysphoria occur
when this causes the person distress such as anxiety and they want to change their stress
how is gender dysphoria different to cross-dressing
people with GD cross-dress, but lots of people who cross-dress just enjoy it and they don’t want to change their sex
some people with GD live full-time as the sex other than their birth sex, and this may involve having surgery
what is an explanations for gender dysphoria
brain functioning of these individuals is more typical of the other sex (not bio sex)
why do some psychologist believe M/F develop differently
exposed to different levels of sex hormones in the womb
an individual might develop brain function typical of the other sex if they have unusual hormone levels during brain development (e.g if a girls testosterone levels are higher than usual)
what are some of the strengths biological explanation of gender dysphoria
Hare et al (2009) found transgender women were more likely than cisgender men to have particular version of an androgen receptor gene
Krujiver et al (2000) found that the number of neurones in a region of the brain called BSTc in transgender women was similar to number in cisgender women typically half as many as in cisgender men
what are some of the weaknesses biological explanation of gender dysphoria
most girls with CAH who produce more testosterone than usual, don’t develop gender dysphoria
other factors many also have an effect on gender development such as social influence
Chung et al (2002) found sex differences in the BSTc didn’t appear until adulthood so they may be a result of gender developing not the cause
what other theory has also been used to explain gender dysphoria
social learning theory
how does social learning theory relate to gender dysphoria
if a child imitates a role model of the other sex or has associated with the other sex reinforced then they may develop a gender that doesn’t match their sex
what are the 2 studies that support SLT in terms of gender dysphoria
Rekers and Lovaas (1974): argued in a case study of a boy who behaved in stereotypically feminine way that GD could be resolved through reinforcing ‘gender appropriate’ behaviours
Rekers (1977) links suggestion that individuals gender identity should be changed to match society’s expectations to the idea that homosexuality was a disorder that could be ‘cured’
what are the 2 main aspects to the bio approach that must be considered
chromosomes and hormones
describe chromosomes
46, (23 pairs) biological threads inside the nucleus of cells
they carry the genetic info that codes for physical and behavioural characteristics
what is the chromosomes role in sex
23rd chromosome pair determines the biological sex (male XY, female XX)
testes develop due to an area on the Y chromosome
testes produce androgens (male hormone) resulting in other sex differences
what is the chromosomes role in gender
genetic differences between bio male and female, chromosomes are thought to result in observable behavioural variations
this is by coding for different neuronal structures and hormone levels that go to influence gender expression
what are hormones
bio-chemical messengers that are released from glands into bloodstream
when they are in the bloodstream they can influence the function of other bodily organs and systems
describe testosterone
androgen (male hormone) 10x more in males than females
what is testosterones role in sex
development of male foetus (due to SRY gene) secondary sexual characteristics (large muscles) in adulthood
what is testosterones role in gender
linked to higher levels of aggression, a trail thought to be masculine in nature
describe oestrogen
female sex hormone in much higher conc in females
what is oestrogens role in sex
regulation of menstrual cycle and development of secondary sexual characteristics
what is oestrogens role in gender
high levels after giving birth linked to maternal caregiving behaviour and reduction in oestrogen levels implicated in feelings of irritability
describe oxytocin
hormone produced in higher quantity in females (same amount in both sex’s during intercourse)
whats oxytocins role in sex
stimulates lactation in females
reduces effect of stress hormone cortisol
whats oxytocins role in gender
caring/attachment behaviour in females and pair bonding behaviours in both genders
what was van beijsterveldt (2006) study to support the biological approach to gender
childhood identity data was collected from over 8000 twin pairs as part of a longitudinal twin study in the Netherlands
this data revealed that 70% of the variance in gender identity was due to genetic factors suggesting that atypical gender is heritable
females with female co-twin more likely to be cross gendered than those with male co-twin
Theisen (2019) study to prove biological approach to gender
sequenced genome of 13 transgender ppl and compared these to 88 control
finding 21 gene variations associated with oestrogen reception in areas of the brain shown to become sexually dimorphic before birth
suggesting sex hormone exposure before birth results in sexually dimorphic brain development contributing to GD
whats meant by sexually dimorphic
different between males and females
whats some animal studies showing evidence for the role pf sex hormones
female rats stop displaying caring behaviour towards their babies whilst given a drug to stop oxytocin and oestrogen production
male castrated mice show reduced aggressive biting that returned to normal levels when injected with testosterone
female mice also increased in aggressive biting when injected with testosterone
what are the evaluations with using hormones to describe gender differences
- describing hormones as male or female is overly simplistic
a form of oestrogen called oestradiol is critical for male sexuality
+ studies that couldn’t be preformed on humans care carried out on animals, however generalisation might not be valid
+ could lead to hormonal therapies