EVALUATION

• EVALUATION POINTS OF THE ROLE OF CHROMOSOMES AND HORMONES IN GENDER DEVELOPMENT?

  +Feder and Whalen

  +Quadango

  -Animal studies

  +Money

  +Francis

  +/-Animal research

  +Van Goozen

  -Nature vs Nurture
• FEDER AND WHALEN?

  • male rats castrated neonatally displayed higher feminine behaviour
  • male rats given oestrogen neonatally displayed lower feminine behaviour in adulthood
  • therefore, female behaviour caused by lack of testosterone not presence of oestrogen (testosterone more important in gender development)
• QUADANGO?

  • testosterone prenatally injected into female baby monkeys
  • became more aggressive
  • increases credibility that testosterone is a more important influence in gender development as aggression is linked with masculine behaviour
• ANIMAL STUDIES (GENERALISABILITY)?

  • cautious extrapolating
  • rats and monkeys are quantitatively different to humans in gender development (social/ cultural factors)
  • testosterone effects are not identical
  • nature vs nurture debate
• MONEY?

  • investigated role of chromosomes in humans and the effect of biological influences in gender development
  • nature won in Reimer's case
  • had gender assigned back to male
  • genes/ chromosomes pre-determined his gender identity
• FRANCIS ET AL?

  • investigated role of oxytocin in gender typical behaviours
  • rats that showed high maternal behaviours had higher levels of oxytocin
  • therefore, oxytocin plays a role in development of feminine behaviours (e.g. nurturing)
• ANIMAL RESEARCH (ETHICS)?

  • unethical
  • lowers reputation of psychology
  • however real world application outweighs risk of harm
  • treatment after gender reassignment surgery
• VAN GOOZEN?

  • research into hormones leads to wider societal implications
  • studied transgender individuals undergoing hormone treatment
  • transgender women showed decrease in aggression and visuospatial skills (transgender men showed the opposite)
  • therefore, sex hormones have influence on gender-related behaviours
• NATURE VS NATURE?

  Berenbaum and Bailey

  • 43 XX individuals with CAH (excess testosterone)
  • answered questionnaire with more masculine responses than the control group (no CAH)
  • but still identified as female
  • therefore, hormones aren't only determining factor (social influences are important)
  • suggests an interactionist approach is more appropriate