Sex and gender - atypical sex chromosome patterns Flashcards
(9 cards)
Klinefelter’s syndrome
- affects 1 in 1000 people
- biological males with extra chromosome XXY
- 2/3 unaware
Physical characteristics of Klinefelter’s syndrome
- Reduced body hair
- breast development
- long gangly limbs
- underdeveloped genitals
- clumsy
Psychological characteristics of Klinefelter’s syndrome
- poor language skills
- poor reading ability
- difficulties with memory and problem solving
- don’t respond well to stress
Turner’s syndrome
- 1 in 5000 females
- absence of X chromosome
- 45 chromosomes instead of 46
Physical characteristics of Turner’s syndrome
- no menstrual cycle
- infertile
- broad shield chest
- webbed neck
Psychological characteristics of Turner’s syndrome
- higher than average reading ability
- high verbal ability
- lower than usual performance on visual/spatial tasks
- socially immature
Strength - contribution to nature/nurture debate
P: contribution to nature/nurture debate
E: by comparing people with Klinefelter’s and Turner’s we can see differences between the groups in their physical and psychological development
E: it would be reasonable to assume that such differences are the result of chromosomal structure
L: provides support for the view that nature has a powerful effect on our behaviour
Strength - research helpful for managing conditions
P: helpful for managing conditions
E: contributes to more accurate and earlier diagnosis
E: From a study of 87 individuals with Klinefelter’s syndrome, those who were identified and treated from a young age had more significant benefits in terms of managing their condition than those diagnosed in adulthood
L: RWA
Limitation - sampling issue
P: may be a sampling issue
E: only people with severe symptoms are identified, so the picture of typical symptoms may be distorted
E: many individuals do not experience significant psychological problems
L: the typical procedure may be exaggerated
