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 biological factors.
• What is gender-identity disorder?

  Gender-identity disorder occurs when a person's sex does not align with their gender identity.
• What might individuals with gender-identity disorder choose to do?

  They may identify as transgender and undergo gender transitioning.
• 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.
• What does androgyny refer to?

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

  It 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 agreed with students' self-perceptions.
• What do Golombok and Fivush (1994) suggest about the BSRI?

  They suggest that the BSRI oversimplifies the complex social construct of gender by not considering personal interests.
• What alternative to the BSRI do Golombok and Fivush propose?

  They propose the Personal Attribute Questionnaire (PAQ) as a more suitable alternative.
• 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 fetal 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 in males.
• What evolutionary purpose does increased aggression in males serve?

  It increases the male's ability to protect females and enhance the survival of their genes.
• What is oestrogen's role in female development?

  Oestrogen triggers the development of female reproductive organs and influences emotional responses during menstruation.
• What is oxytocin commonly referred to as?

  Oxytocin is known as the 'love hormone' due to its role in promoting 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 during childbirth?

  Oxytocin helps mothers bond with their babies and recover from childbirth by suppressing cortisol levels.
• 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 the complex social construct of gender and ignores individual differences within genders.
• How does social learning theory relate to gender characteristics?


  Social learning theory suggests that society encourages individuals to imitate strong masculine or feminine role models.
• How can biological explanations for gender differences lead to discrimination?

  They can provide a scientific justification for discriminatory practices, such as dismissing women's feelings 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 characterized by?

  Klinefelter’s Syndrome is characterized by the genotype XXY and affects biological males.
• What are some 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 tests.

  
• What is Turner’s Syndrome characterized by?

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

  Individuals with Turner’s Syndrome may have broad shoulders, a lack of menstrual cycles, and appear developmentally immature.
• 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 can determine the development of symptoms, such as insecurity affecting social communication in Turner’s Syndrome.

  
• What is a criticism of using atypical sex chromosome patterns to define typical behavior?

  Defining typical behavior based on atypical patterns is subjective and ignores the social construct of gender.

  
• 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 for Turner’s Syndrome.
• What did Kohlberg suggest about children's gender development?

  Kohlberg suggested that all children mature through the same three stages of gender development.
• What are the three stages of gender development according to Kohlberg?

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

  Gender identity occurs between the ages of 2 and 3 years old.
• What can children identify during the stage of gender identity?

  Children can identify themselves as either male or female but cannot do so for others.