Psychodynamic explanation of gender development

Question 1

What are the 2 key concepts of Freud’s gender development theory?

Answer 1

Identification and internalisation

Question 2

Which psychosexual stage did Freud propose gender develops in?

Answer 2

The phallic stage

Question 3

What is identification?

Answer 3

When an individual adopts an attitude because they want to be associated with a particular person/group

Question 4

What is internalisation?

Answer 4

When an individual accepts the behaviour of another

Question 5

What age does the phallic stage occur?

Answer 5

3-6 years

Question 6

What 2 complexes did Freud suggest through which gender identity is resolved?

Answer 6

Electra complex and oedipus complex

Question 7

Does the Oedipus complex apply to boys or girls?

Answer 7

Boys

Question 8

Does the Electra complex apply to boys or girls?

Answer 8

Girls

Question 9

According to the Oedipus complex, who do boys desire?

Answer 9

Their mothers

Question 10

According to the Oedipus complex, who do boys see as their rivals?

Answer 10

Their fathers

Question 11

According to the Oedipus complex, why do boys see their fathers as rivals?

Answer 11

As they want their mother’s sole attention

Question 12

According to the Oedipus complex, why do boys suffer castration anxiety?

Answer 12

Because they wish their fathers would die and worry he realises this

Question 13

How is the Oedipus complex resolved?

Answer 13

Boys begin to identify with their father

Question 14

According to the Oedipus complex, how do boys develop their gender?

Answer 14

They internalise their father’s gender identity

Question 15

According to the Electra complex, who are young girls initially attracted to?

Answer 15

Their mothers

Question 16

According to the Electra complex, why do girls stop being attracted to their mothers?

Answer 16

They realise she doesn’t have a penis

Question 17

According to the Electra complex, why do girls blame their mothers?

Answer 17

They blame her for being the reason they don’t have a penis

Question 18

According to the Electra complex, who is their sexual desire transferred to?

Answer 18

Their father

Question 19

When the Electra complex is resolved, what is penis envy changed to?

Answer 19

The desire to have a baby

Question 20

How does the Electra complex explain gender identity?

Answer 20

When girls are no longer angry at their mothers, they identify with them + internalise her behaviours

Question 21

What did Freud claim that phallic fixation led to?

Answer 21

Amoral behaviour + Homosexuality

Question 22

What are the 4 AO3 points for the psychodynamic explanation of gender development?

Answer 22

1) Little Hans case study
2) Child sexual awareness
3) Alternative psychodynamic explanation
4) Lacks predictive validity

Question 23

How old was Little Hans?

Answer 23

5 years old

Question 24

What did Little Hans have a phobia of?

Answer 24

Horses

Question 25

What did Freud interpret Little Hans’ phobia of horses as?

Answer 25

Repressed sexual desire for his mother

Question 26

What did Little Hans ask his mother to do?

Answer 26

Touch his penis

Question 27

What did Little Hans’ mother threaten to do?

Answer 27

Chop his penis off

Question 28

Why did Little Hans associate touching with horses?

Answer 28

Because he overheard a father tell his daughter not to touch horses as they may bite her

Question 29

What did Freud assume that children knew about genitalia?

Answer 29

That they knew what the female and male genitalia looked like

Question 30

How does Bem’s research contradict Freud’s theory of penis envy?

Answer 30

The majority of children aged 3-5 had no idea what the genitalia of the opposite sex looked like

Question 31

Who proposed an alternative psychodynamic explanation of gender development?

Answer 31

Chodorow

Question 32

Why did Chodorow propose mothers and daughters were closer than mothers and sons?

Answer 32

Because they are same-sex

Question 33

Why did Chodorow propose boys are more independent?

Answer 33

Because they don’t identify with their mother

Question 34

What has research about physical closeness during playing found?

Answer 34

That mothers and daughters are more physically close than mothers and sons when playing

Question 35

What can Freud’s gender development theory not explain under any circumstances?

Answer 35

Typical gender development in children with one parent or same-sex parents

Question 36

Who conducted a review of research into the gender development of children of lesbian mothers?

Answer 36

Patterson

Question 37

What did Patterson find about the gender development of children of lesbian mothers?

Answer 37

That their sexual identities develop in much the same way as they do among children of heterosexual parents