Gender P3

• What is sex


  sex is the biological fact of being male or female

  the genotype is our genetic makeup and being male or female is determined by a pair of chromosomes

  XX = female

  XY = male

  and by reproductive anatomy and functioning
• what is gender?

  gender is the way in which sex and societal norms interact to create attitudes, behaviours and personalities that are deemed appropriate for each sex.

  female traits are labelled feminine and male traits masculine

  children will develop gender identity, this is how individuals classify themselves and create an individual sense of worth

  most of the time sex and gender are the same but when they don't align this is known as transgender
• Androgyny


  when an individual has a balance of both masculine and feminine traits and cannot be categorised as purely feminine or masculine
• Bem sex role inventory - BSRI

  developed a way to measure masculinity femininity and androgyny

  • 60 questions self report test consisting of 3 groups of 20 adjectives - masculine feminine and neutral
  • respondents instructed to give adjective number 1-7 (as a scale) reflecting degree to which the number applies to them
  • 1 = always or almost always untrue
  • 4 = half true and half untrue
  • 7 = always true or almost always true

  masculine adjectives:

  aggressive

  ambitious

  dominant

  feminine adjectives

  cheerful

  childlike

  gentle

  neutral adjectives

  adaptable

  happy

  helpful
• BSRI AO3

  + neutral word remove demand characteristics as respondents less aware of words being feminine and masculine

  to help with this Bem made some of the neutral words socially desirable - happy and 10 socially undesirable eg jealous

  -culturally biased as based in America - each society creates its own gender roles eg aggression may be a positive male trait in america but not in Bhutan

  -temporal validity - developed in 1971 - score depends on cultural expectations which have changed over the last 35 years
• role of chromosomes in sex and gender


  chromosomes are the first thing that determine the sec of a baby. all eggs released by the female have a X chromosome and all from the sperm have a Y

  the gene SRY (sex-determining region Y) on the Y chromosome triggers the creation of testes and the male reproductive system and inhibits female anatomical structures developing in males
• role of hormones in sex and gender


  embryonic gonads become testes in males and ovaries in females which then trigger the release of sex chromosomes

  male sex chromosomes are called androgens, the most important of these is testosterone which is present in large amounts in the foetus at around 6-8 weeks

  oestrogen is present in greater amount in female foetus at this stage
• role of hormones in sex and gender (2)

  during puberty male and female differences become greater as both prepare for reproduction:

  • surge of testosterone causing growth of sexual organs and anabolic effects that build up structures such as increased muscle strength and size
  • surge of oestrogen causing the start of menstruation, also maintains bone health
• role of hormones in sex and gender AO3

  AO3

  • lombardo et al - hormones babies are exposed to in the womb have a lasting impact. high testosterone levels during foetal development can result in higher levels of impulsivity
  • Cambridge Autism Research Centre - link between high testosterone and inability to maintain eye contact
  • too simplistic/redctionist
  • case study support - Reimer twins - bruce became Brenda but returned to David
• Klinefelter syndrome


  first reported by Dr Klinefelter

  • male has extra X chromosome (XXY)
  • physical symptoms - infertility, small penis, enlarged breasts, height
  • psychological symptoms - lower IQ, lack of emotional maturity, shyness
• Turner Syndrome


  when a female has a single sex chromosome (XO) rather than two (XX)

  • physical symptoms - webbed neck, low hairline, moles, eyes that slant downwards
  • psychological symptoms - lack of spatial awareness, difficulty learning maths, difficulties understanding social relationships
• Syndrome AO3

  AO3

  • give insight into effects of biology on gender - impact of nature appears to be strong, doctors can stud the difference between typical and atypical chromosome patters
  • difficult to distinguish the effect of nature and nurture. if females have been diagnosed early have they been treated differently by doctors?
  • research is specific which makes it more reliable and builds psychology reputation as a science
• Kohlbergs theory


  cognitive developmental theorist

  1. gender identity - age 2-3, child recognises they are a boy or girl but believe they can change eg boy saying 'I want to be like mum when I grow'
  2. gender stability - age 4-5, child knows gender is fixed over time but understanding heavily influenced by external factors eg clothes and hair
  3. gender constancy - age 6-7+, gender is stable over time and situations
• Munroe et al


  children in different cultures progress in the same stages outlined by Kohlberg. therefore sequence must be biologically driven and not down to culture
• Slaby and Frey


  research into accuracy of Kohlberg's theory:

  • interviewed 55 kids age 2-5 asked questions to determine stage at using photos
  • first stage asked 'which one are you' - gender identity
  • second stage 'were you a little boy or girl when you were a baby' - gender stability - response was in line with theory
  • third stage asked 'if you wore (opposite sex clothes) would you be a boy or girl?' and 'could you be an (opposite sex) if you wanted to be?'

  later tested again with film, those with high gender constancy showed greater tendency to watch same sex model than low gender contancy.
• Kohlburg AO3

  AO3

  • slt doesnt account for how roles develop - Kohlburg suggests that children take more active role in development that they learn their gender identity through sex-typing and reinforcement
  • research evidence - Munroe et al - children go through the three stages but it has its implications, if children interact with the world their identity may influence parental decisions
  • Huston - although Kohlburg suggests there is very little gender role behaviour before constancy research suggests there are preferences for stereotypical toys at a young age
• Gender schema Theory - Martin and Halverson


  GST suggests that children play a more active role in their gender devlopment from an earlier age.

  children around 2/3 being searching for schemas

  GST outline children's enhanced interest in their gender as 'in-group schema' and those they have less interest in as 'out-group schemas' - this helps children to decide what toys are suitable for boys and girls
• Bradbard et al


  4-9 year old boys and girls would play with toys labelled as 'boy toys' and 'girl toys' despite the fact they were neutral