Gender dysphoria

• Gender dysphoria

  The distress is caused when there is a mismatch between an individual’s external sexual characteristics and their psychological experience of themselves as either male or female. The first signs of gender dysphoria can appear at a very young age. In most cases, this type of behaviour will pass in time. For those with gender dysphoria, however, it continues through childhood and into adulthood.
• The two social explanations for gender dysphoria

  Two ways in which it can be learned in a social context is through operant conditioning and social learning.
• Describe Operant conditioning in social explanations for gender dysphoria

  Individuals are reinforced for exhibiting cross-gender behaviour. Many young children ‘experiment’ with gender role behaviour. For instance, infant boys wearing dresses or girls being ‘dad’ when role-playing.

  It is argued that parents of individuals with gender dysphoria may have reinforced the condition by encouraging and complimenting their children for such behaviour. This presumably occurs more with males, as gender dysphoria is associated more with boys than girls.
• Describe SLT in social explanations for gender dysphoria

  Social learning theory explains gender dysphoria as the result of

  observation and imitation of individuals modelling cross-gender behaviour. It may also be that individuals with gender dysphoria lacked gender-stereotypical role models, meaning they observed and imitated behaviours of role models of the opposite gender.
• Evaluation of social explanations for gender dysphoria

  • Supporting evidence for the lack of a stereotypical role model
  • Can explain why gender dysphoria is sometimes short-term
  • Canoot explain why gender dysphoria cannot be ' unlearned '
• What are the two Biological explanations for gender dysphoria

  • Neurochemistry
  • Brain structures
• Describe the biological explanation for gender dysphoria of Neurochemistry

  It suggests that a gene variant may lead to the release of too much or too little testosterone in the womb. Too much testosterone in the womb can lead to female foetuses being overexposed to testosterone. This can masculinise the brain and later lead to a masculine gender identity. Meanwhile, too little testosterone in the womb can lead to male foetuses being under-exposed to testosterone. This can feminise the brain and later lead to a feminine gender identity.
• What is the BSTc in relation to gender dysphoria?


  The BSTc is the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, a brain structure involved in gender dysphoria.
• How does the size of the BSTc differ between men and women?


  The BSTc is twice as large in men as it is in women.
• What does the theory regarding the BSTc propose about gender dysphoria?

  The theory proposes that the size of the BSTc correlates with an individual’s preferred sex.
• What did research find about the BSTc size in male-to-female transgender individuals?

  Male-to-female transgender individuals had a BSTc size similar to biological females.
• What did research find about the BSTc size in female-to-male transgender individuals?

  Female-to-male transgender individuals had a BSTc size similar to biological males.
• What can be inferred from the neurological differences in the BSTc regarding gender dysphoria?

  It can be inferred that such neurological differences may cause gender dysphoria.
• Evaluation of biological explanations for gender dysphoria:

  • Supporting evidence for the role of testosterone and the androgen receptor gene
  • Supporting evidence of twin studies and their problems
  • Differences in the BSTc volume may be in result of hormone therapy rather than a cause of GD
  • Cannot explain the short-term experiences of gender dysphoria