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Sex and Gender > Sex and Gender > Flashcards

Sex and Gender Flashcards

1
Q

What is meant by the term ‘sex’?

A

A biological term- refers to whether we are male or female and is determined by chromosomes, hormones or anatomical differences

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2
Q

What is gender?

A

A psychological term- refers to roles, attitudes and behaviours associated with males or females

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3
Q

What is gender?

A

A psychological term- refers to roles, attitudes and behaviours associated with males or females

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4
Q

What is androgyny?

A

A term used to describe people who have qualities which are both masculine and feminine

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5
Q

What did Bem do in her study about androgyny?

A

Gave lists to a panel of judges to sort out which traits were said to be masculine or feminine or neutral
then made a questionnaire of 20 of each traits and asked people to rate from 1-7 how much they think they had those traits
Masculine - independent and aggressive
Feminine - gentle
Neutral - friendly

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6
Q

Evaluation of Bem’s study

A

Questionnaire - prone to lying, so wrong conclusions could be made
The panel were American students so therefore the results can’t be generalised to the rest of the world because there could be different scores
Oversimplified - reducing masculine and feminine traits to a single score is much more complex than a rate on a questionnaire

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7
Q

What is sex role stereotyping?

A

A fixed belief about what to expect of males and females
E.g. Females are good at looking after children

Overemphasises similarities between individuals of the same groups

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8
Q

Describe seavey’s study

A
  • 3 month old infant, dressed in yellow
  • 1/3 of the participants were told he was male, 1/3 female, and 1/3 no gender was told
  • they were told to interact with the child for around 3 minutes with either a ball (male), rag doll (female) or plastic ring (neutral)
  • when the child was labelled female, the doll was played with and when make the ring was played with
  • the females interacted freely whereas the males held back and didn’t.
  • adults will interact differently depending on what their beliefs of the gender of the child
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9
Q

Evaluation points of Seavey’s study

A
  • it was conducted in a lab so therefore lacks ecological validity
  • could have a possibility of demand characteristics as the participants may have changed their behaviour to suit the aim
  • a ball is now seen as a neutral toy, not male toy.
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10
Q

Describe urbergs study

A

Children’s gender stereotypes

  • 3,5,7 year olds heard stories in which the characters sex were unspecified but showed traits such as bravery and gentleness.
  • they were then asked who would show this trait, males, females or none.
  • all children answered according to stereotypes, clear beliefs about characteristics of typical males or females
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11
Q

Evaluation of urbergs study

A

Lacks ecological validity - not normal for children to be asked about stories in real life
- laboratory study
Just because the children are aware of the stereotypes, doesn’t mean they hold them

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12
Q

Describe meads study (cultural variations in gender related behaviour)

A

Studies differences in gender roles in three different societies in New Guinea
Arapesh - gentle and cooperative (feminine)
Mundugamor- aggressive (masculine)
Tchambuli- distinct - opposite to western societies
Shows differences across cultures

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13
Q

Evaluation of mead’s study

A
  • unscientific and lacking ecological validity because the tribes may have not been acting naturally
  • may have been biased as mead expected to find cultural differences which may have affected her operations
  • ethical issues - presence may have caused distress to tribes as there was no interpreter with her
  • may have purposely chosen the tribes to fit into her study
  • 1930s: less was understood
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14
Q

What is the nature nurture debate?

A

To what the extent to which our behaviour is governed by the forces of biology and experiences or the environment

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15
Q

What is the nature side of the debate?

A

Suggests that gender related behaviour is entirely controlled by hormonal/genetic factors

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16
Q

What is the nurture side of the debate?

A

Suggests that gender related behaviour is entirely determined by social factors and the environment

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17
Q

What does interactionist mean?

A

Some gender related behaviour is governed by biological makeup but innate predisposition can be modified by the environment

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18
Q

Which side is the biological approach on?

A

Nature

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19
Q

Which side is the social learning theory on?

A

Nurture

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20
Q

Which side is cognitive on?

A

Nature - development of understanding depends on biological maturing but also experience so nurture

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21
Q

Which side is psychodynamic on?

A

Nature- depends on combination of instinctive biological forces but childhood experience (nurture)

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22
Q

Describe turners syndrome

A

Only one X chromosome on the 23rd pair

  • webbed neck
  • constriction of the aorta (heart)
  • poor breast development
  • under developed ovaries
  • lack of menstruation
  • poor spatial and mathematical abilities
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23
Q

Describe Klinefelter’s syndrome

A

Additional X chromosome on the 23rd pair

  • poor beard growth
  • breast development
  • under developed testes
  • poor language abilities
  • shy and passive
24
Q

Describe the rat study of the biological approach

A

To see if male rats show more aggression than females

  • castrated male rats show less aggression
  • females injected with testosterone lead to an increase
25
Q

Disadvantages of rat studies

A

Difficult to apply to humans as we have different cognitive abilities
Unclear how they measured the changes in testosterone

26
Q

What are hormones?

A

Chemical substances secreted by the glands in the body which cause males and females to behave and think differently

27
Q

What is congenital adrenal hyperplasia?

A

Rare condition affecting males and females
High levels of male hormones
Females - tomboys, high levels of aggression, super spatial awareness
ONLY A SMALL NUMBER HAVE BEEN STUDIED

28
Q

Describe Dabb’s study

A

Investigated the link between testosterone levels, prisoner behaviours and crimes committed
Saliva of 692 prisoners were tested for testosterone levels
High testosterone - violent/sexual crimes
Low testosterone - drug/burglary
ONLY MALES WERE STUDIED

29
Q

Evaluation of testosterone

A
  • Increased levels of testosterone maybe the consequence of behaviour and not the cause
  • Oversimplified- explaining aggression in terms of chemical activity, other factors could influence aggression
  • Environmental factors; family background influence how people respond in frustrating situations
30
Q

What is oestrogen?

A

The female hormone which is responsible for development of female sexual characteristics

31
Q

What is PMS?

A

Pre-menstrual syndrome which leads to an increase in emotionality, irritability and aggression.
Leads to lack of attention and self-control and committing criminal acts

32
Q

Describe Money’s study

A

Studied a child whose sex was re-assigned to see if he could be raised as a boy. A 7 month twin boy called Bruce was given oestrogen and operations to create female gentials as his penis was burnt off accidentally. At 12, Bruce stopped taking his pills and changed back to a man when he was older

33
Q

Evaluation of Money’s study

A

Bruce had a twin brother which we could compare himself against
There were many ethical issues, Bruce was distressed
The researchers beliefs affected the interpretation of his behaviour
Difficult to generalise findings as was only carried out on one boy

34
Q

Evaluation of biological explanation of gender

A
  • Ignorance of the environment
  • Highly scientific - research is replicable and can be generalised universally
  • High level of research to support changes in behaviour as a result of hormones - animals, more ethical
  • Applying animals to human behaviour is difficult as humans have different cognitive abilities
35
Q

Explain the Oedipus Complex

A

A boy experiences unconscious sexual desires towards his mother and is in fear of his father castrating him. To stop anxiety, the boy identifies with his father and copies him, resolving the complex as there is a strong sense of male identity

36
Q

Explain the electra complex

A

A girl experiences unconscious sexual desires towards her father and has penis envy, believing that her mother has already castrated her, losing her love. She identifies with her mother to reduce conflict and gain female identity

37
Q

Explain Little Hans study

A

A son of a friend of Freud had developed a fear of horses at the age of 4 years old. He was especially afraid of large white horses with black around its mouth and afraid they might bite him. Freud interpreted the child anxiety as expressing the Oedipus complex where he had an unconscious fear of his father who had a full dark beard. Bitten - castrated

38
Q

What happens to children who were not brought up with both a mother or father present, according to Freud?

A

Have a problem with their gender identity

39
Q

Describe Greens study into children living in atypical households

A

37 children between 3 and 20 from homosexual or transexual families were studied.
Various measures of gender identity were taken such as clothing
Found that all children expect one showed gender typical preferences
Shows that presence of two parents is not needed to develop a secure gender identity

40
Q

Evaluation of psychodynamic explanation of gender

A

Oedipus and electra complex are controversial as many people find the notion of childhood sexuality difficult to accept
Children have an understanding of gender before the age of 5
Little evidence - only 1 case study, no generalisation
Subjective- complexes were from self analysis
Ignores role of biology

41
Q

Explain Kohlberg’s cognitive theory

A

Believed that the mind develops in set stages related to age
Argued a child’s understanding of gender will increase in line with cognitive abilities
Gets more sophisticated as you get older

42
Q

What is the first stage of kolhbergs theory

A

Gender identity - 2 to 3 years
Begin to think of gender
Able to say if they are a boy or a girl
Gender is a label

43
Q

What is the second stage of kohlbergs theory

A

Understand their sex won’t Change

Fooled by appearance - man in a dress is a woman

44
Q

What is the third stage of kohlbergs theory

A

Gender constancy 4-7 years
Gender is constant and no longer fooled by outside a appearance
Masculine or feminine doesn’t change sex

45
Q

Describe slaby and Freys study to test kohlbergs theory

A

Asked young children a series of questions
Gender identity- photos - male or female?
Gender stability - asking what they want to be when they grow up
Gender constancy- asked children whether they would be a boy or s girl if they wore opposite sex clothes
Results were consistent with kolhbergs theory

46
Q

Evaluation of kolhbergs

A

Has been applied to different cultures
Gender schema has found children actively try to construct an understanding what it is to be male or female whereas kolhbergs said only when you get to gender constancy stage they identify their own sex
Doesn’t explain how it happens
Ignores that children develop at different rates

47
Q

What is a gender schema?

A

Unit of knowledge consisting of information such as appropriate behaviours, characteristics, occupations and roles for males and females

48
Q

Describe the gender schema theory

A

As soon as child can label their own sex at around 2 years old, they actively search their environment for information to increase their understanding of their own gender - they use this to decide how to behave as a boy or a girl

49
Q

Examples of gender schema

A

Finding appropriate jobs and toys/activities, ignore the rest which isn’t associated

50
Q

Describe halversons stages of the gender schema

A

Stage one- learning what attitudes and behaviours are usually associated with each sex
Stage two- making links between different aspects of the schema for their own sex (plays with cars, short hair and wears trousers-boy)
Stage three- children make links for gender schema for both sexesd

51
Q

Explain Boston and Levy’s study

A

See if knowledge about stereotypically activities were different between boys and girls
Aged 3-6 year old children were given a sequence of 4 pictures of an activity (cooking-girls building a birdhouse-boys) as were asked to put them in order
Boys and girls put set in order more accurately for their own gender
Children have more knowledge of own gender based activities

52
Q

Evaluation of gender schema theory

A

Explains why children don’t automatically copy a same sex model but see if behaviour is appropriate
Boys have been found to show more extreme gender behaviour than girls - gender schema theory can’t explain this
According to cognitive theories, greed understanding starts at the age of 2, so doesn’t explain why children chose to play with particular toys before this

53
Q

Explain fagot’s study

A

Where parents treated male/female toddlers differently. 24 toddlers aged 20-24 months were observed,recorded reinforcements and punishments.
Girls were reinforced when staying near parents and dressing up
Boys were reinforced for playing with sex appropriate toys
Encourage gender appropriate behaviours

54
Q

Evaluation of Fagot’s study

A

Demand characteristics - knew they were being studied

Small sample of children

55
Q

Describe Perry and bussey’s study

A

Children saw 4 males and 4 females choosing between a banana or an apple
All females chose one item, men chose the other
After observing, the children were asked which one they preferred.
They preferred the item that had been chosen by the adults of their own sex
Children imitate behaviour of their own sex

56
Q

What is identification?

A

A child sees themselves as similar to a specific person who has attractive qualities

57
Q

Evaluation of SLT explanation of gender

A

Doesn’t consider changes in development of gender
Assumes there is no process of gradual development and that gender changed over time
Many studies are unrealistic and lack ev
Theory neglects biology
Cross cultural studies support SLT as tender differences are learned as behaviour is

Sex and Gender (1 decks)

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