Gender Development 1 Flashcards
Overview of gender differences
Gender similarity hypothesis: boys and girls are more similar than different, 70% of differences of are overlapping
but, large physical and biological differences such as height, muscles mass and fat
What are the psychological traits that are different?
Activity level Cognitive abilities Academic achievement A level choices Social outcomes Agression
Temperament differences
Activity level - in infancy, boys are more active but this is only small. This difference gets larger and increases into childhood
Cognitive abilities differences
IQ scores - practically identical
Verbal skills - girls have a 4/5 month advantage, but boys catch up eventually, reading advantage is small by secondary. Writing is medium
Spatial skills - boys outperform girls, the difference increases through childhood
Academic differences
Girls are doing better in GCSE
71.4% girls got a C vs 62.4% boys
24.1% of girls at least one A* or A vs 16.8% of boys
Girls outperform boys by half a grade in English and outperform in every subject but maths
Do equally well in maths
A level differences
No performance differences but differences in subjects chosen
Maths most popular for males
Psychology most popular for females
implications for workforce
Social outcomes difference
Moderate to large effects for self-regulation (controlling emotions, resisting temptations) - girls develop them earlier
girls are more compliant
better able to resist temptation
show more empathy and sympathy - pretend they like lemonade so they don’t hurt the teachers feelings
Agression differences
Direct aggression - declines for both genders but more for girls
Indirect - girls use it more than boys as get older
Why do gender differences exist?
Biological theories
Socalisation theories
Cognitive theories
What are the biological theories?
Evolution
Hormones
Genes
Evolutionary approach
Behavioural tendencies have evolved because they have given us reproductive advantage
Behaviours they learn through play mean they are more successful in ensuring offspring survive - e.g. girls concentrate on fostering close relationships, avoiding conflict, controlling impulses, boys more physically active and aggression, helps them compete for best mates
Hormonal influences
In cases where the foetus hasn’t developed normally, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, rental exposure to excess androgens lead female children to act in more masculine ways - more active, rougher and more tumble play
Behavioural genetic approach
Twins early development study sampled twins born, parents asked about their children sex types behaviour at age 3 and 4 (toys, activities and characteristics)
MZ twins = more similar, control were similar but not as similar as twins
Gendered activities are highly heritable, but more so for girls than boys
boys - 34% - environment affects them more
girls - 57%
What are the socialisation theories?
Social learning theory
Social cognitive theory
Social learning theory
Children learn gender roles because social agents teach them, child is passive
Key processes are:
reinforcement - fathers are more positive to same-sex behaviour and critical of other sex behaviour in pre-school children
modelling
But, children’s gender role behaviour is not strongly correlated with their parents behaviour
