Gender

• What is the difference between sex and gender?

  Sex is a biological term describing male or female, while gender is a social construct allowing individual identification as feminine or masculine.

  
• How do sex and gender influence individual behavior?

  Gender influences behavior, dress, and self-introduction, while sex involves uncontrollable internal workings.
• Can individuals choose their sex or gender?

  Individuals cannot choose their sex, but they can choose their gender.
• What is gender-identity disorder?

  Gender-identity disorder occurs when a person's sex does not align with their gender identity.
• What does it mean to identify as transgender?

  Identifying as transgender means that an individual may undergo gender transitioning to align their sexual identity with their gender identity.
• What are sex-role stereotypes?

  Sex-role stereotypes are societal expectations regarding appropriate behavior for each sex.
• How do sex-role stereotypes justify discriminatory practices?

  They justify discrimination by reinforcing beliefs that women cannot handle stressful jobs due to their gender roles.
• What does androgyny refer to?

  Androgyny refers to a balance of both masculine and feminine characteristics in an individual.
• How can androgyny be viewed?

  Androgyny can be viewed from personality and appearance perspectives.
• What is the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI)?

  The BSRI is a tool developed to measure androgyny through self-reporting on masculine, feminine, and neutral characteristics.
• What is a major methodological issue with the BSRI?

  The BSRI is a self-report measure, making it subjective and potentially unreliable.
• What evidence supports the reliability and validity of the BSRI?

  A pilot study with 1000 students showed that classifications by the BSRI aligned with students' self-perceptions of their personality.
• What is the Personal Attribute Questionnaire (PAQ)?


  The PAQ measures personality along different dimensions, such as expressivity and instrumentality, providing a more personal assessment than the BSRI.
• What are chromosomes?

  Chromosomes are small sections of DNA that contain genes coding for proteins and hormones.
• Why are hormones important for fetal development?

  Hormones are crucial for determining whether a fetus develops as male or female.
• What is the genotype for females and males?

  The genotype for females is XX, while for males it is XY.
• What role does the Y chromosome play in male development?

  The Y chromosome signals the fetus to develop as male by activating the SRY gene, which produces androgens.
• How does testosterone affect male behavior?

  High levels of testosterone are associated with increased aggression, which has evolutionary advantages for males.
• What evidence supports the link between testosterone and aggression?

  Animal studies show that castration leads to calmer behavior in male animals, indicating a link between testosterone and aggression.

  
• What is oestrogen's role in female development?

  Oestrogen triggers the development of female reproductive organs and influences emotional changes during menstruation.
• What is oxytocin known for?

  Oxytocin is known as the 'love hormone' because it promotes feelings of intimacy and closeness.
• How does oxytocin contribute to gender stereotypes?

  Higher levels of oxytocin in women may contribute to the stereotype that they are more caring and affectionate than men.
• What evolutionary advantage does oxytocin provide?

  Oxytocin is released in high concentrations before and after birth, aiding maternal bonding and recovery from childbirth.
• What did Dabbs et al. (1995) find regarding testosterone levels?

  Dabbs et al. found that offenders committing aggressive or sexually abusive crimes had higher levels of testosterone.
• What is a criticism of explaining gender solely through chromosomes and hormones?

  It oversimplifies gender as a complex social construct and ignores individual differences within genders.
• How does social learning theory relate to gender development?


  Social learning theory suggests that society encourages individuals to imitate strong masculine or feminine role models through mediational processes.

  
• What is the concern regarding the reliance on biology for gender differences?

  It may serve as a scientific justification for discriminatory practices based on gender.
• What do Brescoll and Uhlman argue about PMS?

  Brescoll and Uhlman argue that PMS is a social construct that medicalizes female anger, allowing it to be dismissed as hormonal.
• What are the typical sex chromosome patterns for males and females?

  The typical sex chromosome pattern for males is XY and for females is XX.
• What is Klinefelter’s Syndrome?

  Klinefelter’s Syndrome is characterized by the genotype XXY and affects biological males, leading to female-like physical characteristics.
• What are the psychological characteristics of individuals with Klinefelter’s Syndrome?

  Individuals with Klinefelter’s Syndrome may be clumsy and achieve poorer than average scores on visuo-spatial and reading skills.

  
• What is Turner’s Syndrome?

  Turner’s Syndrome is characterized by the absence of two copies of the X chromosome, resulting in a genotype of X0 and affecting females.
• What are the psychological characteristics of individuals with Turner’s Syndrome?

  Individuals with Turner’s Syndrome may have advanced reading skills but struggle with social communication and visuo-spatial tasks.

  
• What are the key differences between Klinefelter’s and Turner’s Syndromes?

  The key differences include the affected sex, symptoms produced, chromosome numbers, and the nature of psychological symptoms.

  
• How do social influences affect individuals with Klinefelter’s and Turner’s Syndromes?

  Social influences and treatment by others can significantly impact the development of symptoms in individuals with these syndromes.

  
• What is the nature versus nurture debate in relation to atypical sex chromosome patterns?

  The debate focuses on how to define atypical based on subjective views of what is considered typical, especially since gender is a social construct.

  
• How can understanding Klinefelter’s and Turner’s Syndromes lead to better treatments?

  Improved understanding may lead to effective treatments, such as human growth hormone, to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.

  
• What are the three stages of gender development according to Kohlberg?

  The three stages are gender identity, gender stability, and gender constancy.
• At what ages does the stage of gender identity occur?

  The stage of gender identity occurs between the ages of 2 and 3 years old.
• What can children do at the stage of gender identity?

  At this stage, children can identify themselves as male or female but cannot do so for others.