Psychodynamic Explanation of Gender Development

Question 1

The Oedipus complex

Answer 1

• Boy desires his mother as he becomes aware or his sexuality
• Sees his father as a rival and wishes he was dead. The wish creates anxiety and fear of castration. His fears are repressed.
• Complex is resolved when the boy begins to identify with his father and internalises his gender identity, later taking on his own identity.

Question 2

The electra complex

Answer 2

• Girl is attracted to her mother, but then discovers she does not have a penis. She blames her mother, believing she was castrated and then experiences penis envy
• Her sexual desires are transferred to her father
• The complex is resolved when the penis envy is converted to a wish to have a baby. The anger is reduced allowing the girl to identify with her mother and taing on gender behaviours.

Question 3

Unresolved phallic stage

Answer 3

• The healthy outcome is identifying with the same sex parent
• Frustration and overindulgence may lead to a fixation on a psychosexual stage
• This could be a root cause to homosexuality

Question 4

Evaluation- research support

Answer 4

Little hans

- however c.s has problems f subjective interpretation.

Question 5

Evaluation- child sexual awareness

Answer 5

• bem-children 3-5 didn’t know what the genitals of the opposite sex looked like. Meaning it would be impossible for the complexes to develop

Question 6

Evaluation- lack of predictive validity

Answer 6

• there is no evidence for children living in single parent or same sex households having difficulty acquiring a gender identity