Sex and Gender Flashcards
Name the male and female gonads (reproductive organs)
Female: Ovaries
Male: Testes
What are the definitions of “sex” and “gender”?
Sex refers to the biological aspects of the individual.
Gender refers to the psychological and cultural aspects of maleness and femaleness.
Describe the id?
The id, containing our basic instincts and drives, is present at birth. It is concerned only with immediate satisfaction of these desires. The id works on the pleasure principle (‘I want’).
Describe the ego?
The ego starts developing at around three years of age, as we begin to understand that we cannot always have what we want. We begin to find realistic and safe ways of satisfying our desires. The ego works on the reality principle (‘Think about it’).
Describe the superego?
The superego develops at around six years of age and is the moral part of our personality. It is concerned with right and wrong in our behaviour. The superego has two parts: the conscience and the ego-ideal. The superego works on the morality principle (‘It is wrong to…’).
Displace is an ego-defence mechanism. Describe it.
Transferring our negative feelings towards something that will not harm us (for example, shouting as somebody who hasn’t done anything because you are in a bad mood or angry with some else).
What is retrospective data?
Data obtained from a person’s memories. For example, ‘Think back to when you were a child…’
Linda has just received a new doll and pram for her birthday. She copies her mother pushing her little sister in her pram. What is being demonstrated here?
Imitation
Stacey sees her favourite character on TV being praised for helping a relative. Stacey is very helpful when her granny visits. What is being demonstrated here?
Modelling
What is the difference between the Oedipus complex and the Electra complex?
A boy experiences the Oedipus complex because of his desire for his mother and his fear that his father will castrate him. To resolve this conflict, the boy identifies with the father.
A girl experiences the Electra complex: she has unconscious longings for her father, experiencing penis envy, yet fears the loss of her mother’s love. Because she thinks she has already been castrated by her mother, she is not as fearful of her as the boy is of his father.
What are some of the criticism of Freud?
He relied on his patients’ memories, which may not have been accurate.
He used a few case studies of his female patients, who all came from a similar background, so his sample was not representative of people in general.
He did not study children directly.
His theory is very difficult to test scientifically.
His explanation ignores the effect of biological factors (such as genes and hormones) and social influences (as proposed by learning theory) on gender development.
Whose 1981 study investigated the role of the media and gender stereotypes?
Manstead and McCulloch
What was unusual - and a key criticism - about Freud’s 1909 study of Little Hans?
Freud had no direct contact with Hans. Instead, Freud communicated by letter with Hans’s father.
In terms of behaviour, what is a model?
Anyone whose behaviour is observed
What are the three stages proposed under the gender schema theory?
1) Gender labelling (up to three years old)
2) Gender stability (three to five years old)
3) Gender constancy (six years onwards)
