Gender Differences in Behavior

Gender Differences in Expression

• Men exhibit aggression, heavy drinking, exploitative behavior, and increased participation in competitive sports.
• Women demonstrate emotional expression through social responsibility.

Understanding Emotions

• Emotions comprise physiological and cognitive elements that influence behavior.
• Distinct physical changes accompany emotions, allowing identification of feelings such as happiness.
• Emotions can be categorized as positive or negative, with basic emotions recognized as happiness, anger, fear, sadness, and disgust.

Theories of Emotion

• James-Lange Theory: Emotions result from bodily responses to external stimuli; physiological reactions inform emotional labeling.
• Cannon-Bard Theory: Physiological arousal and emotional experiences occur simultaneously due to nerve stimulus from the brain.
• Schachter-Singer Theory: Emotions are identified through environmental observation and comparison to others, combining physiological arousal with cognitive labeling.

Neuroscience of Emotions

• Specific emotions activate different brain regions, e.g., happiness correlates with decreased cortical activity, while sadness is linked to increased activity.

Sexual Behavior Insights

• Men maintain a constant receptiveness to sex, while women are more so during ovulation.
• Males generally exhibit a stronger sex drive, with thoughts about sex occurring more frequently than in females (54% vs. 19%).
• Sexual arousal can be triggered by various stimuli beyond the presence of a partner.

Sexual Orientation

• Homosexuality: Attraction to the same sex; “gay” for males and “lesbian” for females.
• Bisexuality: Attraction to both same-sex and opposite-sex individuals.
• Sexual orientation exists on a continuum, influenced by genetic, hormonal, and brain structure factors.

Transgenderism

• Describes individuals whose gender identity or expression diverges from their assigned sex at birth.
• May include those identifying as neither male nor female or those pursuing sex-change operations.
• Intersex individuals are born with atypical sexual organs or chromosomal patterns, though this condition is rare.

Need for Achievement

• Stable characteristic where individuals derive satisfaction from striving for excellence.
• High achievers prefer moderately difficult tasks to prove success, while low achievers often select either too easy or too hard challenges to avoid failure.

Measuring Achievement Motivation

• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): Participants create stories based on ambiguous images, revealing achievement-related themes through a standardized scoring system.

Need for Affiliation

• Individuals with a high need for affiliation prioritize relationships and socialization with friends.

Need for Power

• Desire for impact and control over others, with those high in power seeking influential roles and displaying behavior indicative of power, such as luxury possessions.

Motivation

• Defined as factors that energize and direct behavior, encompassing biological, cognitive, and social dimensions.

Approaches to Motivation

• Instinct: Inborn behaviors geared towards survival.
• Drive-Reduction: Biological needs create drives that compel satisfaction.
• Arousal: People seek to maintain optimal stimulation levels, adjusting as needed.
• Cognitive: Motivation stems from thoughts and expectations, influencing study habits based on anticipated outcomes.
• Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic is motivated by enjoyment, while extrinsic motivation relies on external rewards.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

• Motivational needs are structured in a pyramid, requiring lower-level needs to be met before higher-order needs:
  • Physiological Needs: Basic needs for survival (food, water, sleep).
  • Safety Needs: Secure environment for effective functioning.
  • Love & Belongingness: Affection and group membership.
  • Esteem Needs: Recognition of competence by others.
  • Self-Actualization: Realizing personal potential and fulfillment through talent application.

Explore the distinct ways men and women express their aggression and emotions. This quiz delves into behavioral traits linked to gender, highlighting both physiological and cognitive aspects of emotions. Test your understanding of these differences and their implications.