individual differences - gender

Question 1

Gender refers to:

Answer 1

the psychological or cultural aspects if maleness or femaleness.

Question 2

Sex refers to:

Answer 2

the biological aspect of an individual for example a child’s sex is identified at birth by its genitals.

Question 3

Gender differences:

Answer 3

(male) aggression, determined, sharp-witted (female) cautious, emotional, warm.

Question 4

Biological factors:

Answer 4

chromosomes, hormones, brain differences.

Question 5

Environmental factors:

Answer 5

social learning theory (Bandura, 1961), biosocial theory (Smith & Lloyd, 1978), cognitive development theory (Kolberg, 1966) and gender schema theory (Bem 1981).

Question 6

Chromosomes are:

Answer 6

tiny, thread like structure inside most cells of every organism, or living thing, carry info unit genes. Sex is determined by chromosomes. Chromosomes carry info about the organism in units called genes. When living organisms reproduce, they pass their genes into their offspring.

Question 7

Y chromosomes carry:

Answer 7

H-Y antigen causes embryonic gonads to transform into testes

Question 8

Chromosomes crucial in:

Answer 8

sex development in pre-natal stages

Question 9

Batista boys:

Answer 9

were born and raised as girls but at puberty became male due to mutated chromosome gene where the body misses a critical chemical step, so the external anatomy doesn’t change. Born with XY chromosomes (male) due to delayed development in womb born female. Testosterone during puberty triggered development.

Question 10

Klienfelter syndrome:

Answer 10

male sex chromosome abnormality. Male inherit 1 or more X chromosomes making their genotype XXY/XXXY. Several cases males: higher pitched voices, asexual or feminine bodies, breast enlargement and little facial and body hair. Testes and prostate glands small producing small amounts of testosterone. Normal sexual functions, including erection and ejaculation

Question 11

Hormones are:

Answer 11

chemicals that affect the development of sex organs and activity. Both sexes produce same hormones female oestrogen and progesterone and male androgen and testosterone.

Question 12

Hormones affect:

Answer 12

primary sex characteristics (external appearance vag, penis horm imbalance = unclear) secondary at puberty (breast enlargement, hair, deep voice).

Question 13

AIS is:

Answer 13

when a person who is genetically male ( 1 X and 1 Y chromosomes) is resistant to male hormones (called androgens).

Question 14

Hormones influence:

Answer 14

brain development in womb. Difference in ‘brain road maps’ explain why males outperform females on certain mental skills whereas females have the edge in other skills. Women have more connection L to R handing logical thinking and intuition whereas male front and back motor and spatial skills.

Question 15

David Reimer:

Answer 15

was born a boy XY, 7 months malfunction circumcision burnt off his penis. Turned into a girl Brenda nurtured as a girl (girls clothes, dolls, makeup). As she grew up tomboy preferring twin brothers toys. At age 13 found out truth had reconstructive surgery at 14 named David was happier male. Case shows significance of biological approach to gender and the importance of chromosomes on ones gender identity and nature more important than nurture.

Question 16

Environmental Argument:

Answer 16

gender roles are influenced by the media, family, environment, and society. In addition to biological maturation, children develop within a set of gender-specific social and behavioral norms embedded in family structure, natural play patterns, close friendships, and the social life of school.

Question 17

Social learning theorist:

Answer 17

Albert Bandura 1961

Question 18

Social learning theory highlights the importance of:

Answer 18

observing, modelling, imitating behaviours, attitudes and emotional reactions of others. SLT considers how environmental and cognitive factors influence human learning and behaviours. According to Bandura people observe behaviours social interactions others or indirectly through media. Rewarded actions imitated punished avoided. Children imitate similar same sex powerful. All learning is result of experience with environment association & reinforcement.

Question 19

1961 to 1963 Bandura found:

Answer 19

boys more likely imitate aggressive models than girls. Further research found children imitate same-sex model than an opposite-sex model. Also found 1997, that observing others behave certain imitate same behaviours, reinforcement (parent & teachers) sex appropriate.

Question 20

Strength of social learning theory:

Answer 20

emphasises contribution of social environment to the difference in children’s learning and behaviours with the theory stating “children learning social contacts”

Question 21

Limitations of social learning theory:

Answer 21

doesn’t take into account child development and how the progression of learning and growth is chronological or age dependant.

Question 22

Cognitive development theory:

Answer 22

Kolberg 1966

Question 23

Concept of cognitive development theory:

Answer 23

when child understands concept of gender they behave appropriate way, based on societies obligated gender roles. From age 2 child understands what gender label applies, child able to understand sex and gender and apply to others resulting in gender identity. From age 4 child understand stay gender throughout life however deceived into believing sex has changed based on appearance this is gender stability. From age 6 a child will understand that they stay same gender as do others this is gender constancy.

Question 24

Sandra Bem (1989) conducted study:

Answer 24

with young children 6 ability to distinguish between gender stability and gender constancy. She gave children pictures of young male and female toddlers with no clothes on the lower part of their bodies. It was clear which sex the children were because of their genitals.

Question 25

Strengths of cognitive development theory:

Answer 25

by 6 years of age most children understand sex stays same throughout life.

Question 26

Limitation of of cognitive development theory:

Answer 26

it cannot explain why different children with much of the same enviro influences respond differently to gender appropriate behaviour.

Question 27

Gender schema theorist:

Answer 27

Sandra Bem 1981

Question 28

Gender schema theory:

Answer 28

cognitive theory that hypothesis that children develop gender related behaviours because they develop schemas that guide them to adapt such behaviours.

Question 29

Schema is:

Answer 29

a mental framework due to experiences, such as child’s culture, which includes an organised way of perceiving cognitively and responding to complex situations. As brain matures develop concept ‘boy’ and ‘girl’. Develops stereotypical view of gender role which over time becomes flexible.

Question 30

Gender schema explains:

Answer 30

for how children acquire gender identity and sex-typed behaviours.

Question 31

Gender schema research:

Answer 31

Children given photos, drawings and videos of men and women performing various tasks, gender schematic children remember the gender typical pairings (woman cooking, man in truck, etc). Rather than the atypical pairings where it might be the other way around.

Question 32

Strength of gender schema:

Answer 32

provides explanation of how children’s mind store and comprehend knowledge

Question 33

Limiations of gender schema:

Answer 33

concept is too vague and has difficulties measuring schema.

Question 34

Conclusion

Answer 34

An interactionist approach argues that several levels of explanation are necessary to explain a particular behaviour, ranging from lower (biological) to higher levels (social and cultural). “A human being does not inherit a specific trait but rather a tendency or predisposition that becomes expressed in one way in one situation, differently in another, and perhaps remains latent in a third. The result of any given inherited potential inevitably depends upon the environment and vice versa, a condition known as the interaction principle” (Masters 1981).