Gender - The Role of Genes and Hormones in Gender

Question 1

What is the biological gender of a baby determined by?

Answer 1

It’s 23rd chromosome

Question 2

How many pairs of chromosomes does a human being have?

Answer 2

23

Question 3

What two parts give them 23rd pair of chromosomes?

Answer 3

Ovum and Sperm

Question 4

What type of chromosome does the ovum give?

Answer 4

X

Question 5

What type of chromosome does the sperm give?

Answer 5

X or Y

Question 6

What pairing of chromosomes gives a girl?

Answer 6

XX

Question 7

What pairing of chromosomes gives a boy?

Answer 7

XY

Question 8

What happens six weeks after conception?

Answer 8

Genes prompt gonads to become testes or ovaries

Question 9

What do the testes release?

Answer 9

Testosterone

Question 10

What does testosterone do in foetuses?

Answer 10

Stimulate the development of male internal organs

Question 11

What happens if foetuses don’t have the influence of testosterone?

Answer 11

The foetus develops female characteristics

Question 12

What is an evaluation for the role of genes?

Answer 12

David Reimer

Question 13

Briefly describe David Reimer

Answer 13

Identical twin, suffered damage to pens, raised as a girl, happier with boys toys, didn’t fit in, found out his biology, re-assigned his gender, married a woman, became depressed after they divorced, committed suicide.

Question 14

What does David Reimer tell us about there influences of genes on gender?

Answer 14

Genes are best predictor of a person’s gender identity. David was biological a boy, raised as a female, but wanted to be a male.

Question 15

Why aren’t the findings and conclusions of the David Reimer study reliable?

Answer 15

Dr Money was very involved in the study, may have influenced the results - researcher bias.
ALSO
Case study, only happened to one person, cannot replicate the results

Question 16

What two hormones can influence gender?

Answer 16

Testosterone and oestrogen

Question 17

What does testosterone do to the brain?

Answer 17

Leads to increased development in the right hemisphere

Question 18

What is the right hemisphere of the brain associated with?

Answer 18

Visual-spatial processing

Question 19

What doesn’t develop as quickly in XY foetuses?

Answer 19

Left hemisphere of brain, especially near Wernicke’s area

Question 20

What is the left hemisphere of the brain associated with?

Answer 20

Understanding language

Question 21

What does brain development tell us about males and females?

Answer 21

Biological females brains give them better language skills. Biological males brains give them better spatial skills.

Question 22

What two studies and one focus area are associated with the Research relating to the effect of testosterone on gendered behaviour?

Answer 22

Young et al (1964)
Money and Ehrhardt
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Question 23

What happened in Young et al (1964)?

Answer 23

Increased the am out of male hormones female monkeys were exposed to in the uterus, found they spent more time in rough and tumble play compared to control group.

Question 24

Evaluate the study of Young et al (1964).

Answer 24

‘Rough and tumble play’ is a subjective measurement

Animal research is controversial, rights by virtue of their ‘inherent value’

Question 25

What happened in Money and Ehrhardt?

Answer 25

Studied daughters who’s mothers had taken male hormones while pregnant, found them to be more ‘tomboyish’ than control group.

Question 26

What is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia?

Answer 26

Genetic disorder leads to unusually high peels of testosterone being produced by the adrenal gland. In girls often leads to partially masculinised genitalia.

Question 27

What do studies of girls with CAH find?

Answer 27

They usually play in a more boyish way, often have very good spatial skills.

Question 28

What do the results of studies of girls with CAH suggest?

Answer 28

Suggest its the high levels of pre-natal androgens that have influences there behaviour to be masculine rather than socialisation.

Question 29

What two studies are associated with woman at different stages in their menstrual cycle?

Answer 29

Maki et al (2002)

Hampton (1990)

Question 30

What happened in Maki et al (2002)?

Answer 30

Found verbal fluency was better in woman during high oestrogen phase of their menstrual cycle.

Question 31

What happened in Hampton (1990)?

Answer 31

Tested same women as Maki et al (2002), found performance on visual-spatial tasks best at lowest oestrogen levels.

Question 32

What study is associated with transsexuals before and after hormone treatment?

Answer 32

Van Goozen et al (1995)

Question 33

What happened in Van Goozen et al (1995)?

Answer 33

Tested transsexual men before hormone treatment and after 12 weeks of treatment. Found scores on verbal fluency had improved, visual-spatial skills had deteriorated.

Question 34

What two IDAs are relevant to genes and hormones?

Answer 34

Socially Sensitive

Freewill v Determinism

Question 35

Briefly describe how this approach is Socially sensitive.

Answer 35

Has the potential to cause social problems such as limiting the opportunities for men and women or excusing unacceptable behaviour.

Question 36

Briefly deceive how this approach is either free will or determinism.

Answer 36

Research is deterministic, Rules out the possibility of free will and says that behaviour is caused by outside forces. Stating that behaviour is caused purely by genes or hormones is biological determinism.