Sex & Gender Flashcards
The physical characteristics that define male and female.
biological sex
A combination of all those features that a society associates with or considers appropriate for being a man and woman.
gender
A pattern of behaviors and traits that defines how to act the part of a female or a male in a particular society.
gender role
Overgeneralized and largely inaccurate beliefs about what males and females are like.
gender stereotypes
The hypothesis that males and females are similar on most, but not all, psychological variables.
gender similarities hypothesis
Individuals’ basic awareness that they are either a male or a female.
gender identity
The process by which children become aware of their gender and acquire the motives, values, and behaviors considered appropriate for members of their biological sex.
gender typing
The formation of separate boys’ and girls’ peer groups during childhood.
gender segregation
A magnification of differences between males and females during adolescence associated with increased pressure to conform to traditional gender roles.
gender intensification
A solid understanding of oneself as male-female, man-woman.
gender constancy
The stage of gender typing in which children realize that their sex remains the same over time.
gender stability
The stage of gender typing in which children realize that their sex is stable across situations or despite changes in activities or appearance.
gender consistency
Organized sets of beliefs and expectations about males and females that guide information processing.
gender schema (plural: schemata)
An orientation that emphasizes the well-being of others and includes traits of emotionality and sensitivity to others; considered feminine.
communality
An orientation toward individual action and achievement that emphasizes traits of dominance, independence, assertiveness, and competitiveness; considered masculine.
agency
The brain’s ability to analyze and explore how things work.
systemize
Money and Ehrhardt’s theory of gender-role development that focuses on how biosocial theory Money and Ehrhardt’s theory of gender-role development that focuses on how
biosocial theory
A genetic female who was exposed to male sex hormones during the prenatal period and therefore developed male-like external genitals and some masculine behaviors.
androgenized female
A gender-role orientation in which the person blends both positive masculine-stereotyped and positive feminine-stereotyped personality traits.
androgyny
A psychological change that begins in midlife, when parenting responsibilities are over, in which both men and women retain their gender-typed qualities but add to them qualities traditionally associated with the other sex.
androgyny shift
The notion that the demands of parenthood cause men and women to adopt distinct roles and psychological traits.
parental imperative
A psychological disorder involving flashbacks to traumatizing events, nightmares, and feelings of helplessness and anxiety in the face of danger experienced by victims of extreme trauma.
posttraumatic stress disorder
A person’s preference for sexual partners of the same or other sex.
sexual orientation
The view that sexual behavior appropriate for members of one gender is inappropriate for members of the other.
double standard
