Psychology Gender Theories Overview

Schools of Thought

• Functionalism: Focuses on individual differences and functions of the mind, interested in evolutionary explanations of behavior
• Behaviorism: Focuses on observable behavior without interest in sex differences
• Psychoanalysis: Examines sex and gender differences within personality development
• Social Learning Theory: Suggests people learn through observation
• Cognitive Development Theory: Emphasizes the development of cognition, crucial for understanding gender

Sex vs. Gender

• Sex is biological and physiological characteristics defining a person as male or female
• Gender is a social construction and categorization of how one defines themselves as male or female

Interpretations of Gender Differences

• Minimalists: Believe men and women are fundamentally the same
• Maximalists: Acknowledge fundamental differences but debate whether they are innate or learned
• Essentialists: Attribute differences to biological explanations

Gender Identities

• Cisgender: Gender identity aligns with sex assigned at birth
• Transgender: Gender identity doesn't align with sex assigned at birth
• Intersex: Individuals with ambiguous genitalia at birth, not considered male or female
• Transexual: Transgender individuals who haven't transitioned medically but appear as their chosen sex
• Gender fluid: Not adhering to or identifying as male or female
• Gender normative: Adhering to societal standards of masculinity/femininity
• Gender consistency: Understanding gender remains constant regardless of external factors (develops between ages 6 and 7)

Video Games and Gender Stereotypes

• Video games exaggerate gender stereotypes, portraying female characters as hyperfeminine and sexualized, and males as powerful, aggressive, and athletic
• This can lead to cognitive biases against women and behavioral consequences in men towards women

Types of Feminism

• Liberal feminism: Seeks to end gender discrimination based on sex
• Radical feminism: Believes history is characterized by male dominance and female oppression
• Cultural feminism: Celebrates traditional characteristics associated with women
• Locational feminism: Recognizes the interconnectedness of privileges based on race, ethnicity, gender, and social status

Emic and Etic Perspectives

• Emic: Understanding a culture from an insider's perspective
• Etic: Understanding a culture from an analytical distance approach

Case Studies

• Provide extensive information about one individual but have limitations due to their focus on a single subject

Statistical Significance

• The probability of rejecting the null hypothesis, determining whether findings are due to the independent variable or not

File Drawer Dilemma

• Studies with non-significant findings are less likely to be published, potentially skewing research conclusions

Correlation Between Variables

• Indicates the relationship between two variables, with a correlation of 1 signifying a strong positive relationship

Scientists' Subjectivity

• Personal biases can influence how researchers collect and analyze data, potentially impacting study results

Stereotypes

• Overgeneralized and oversimplified beliefs about people within a recognized category
• Stereotypes associated with women often include emotional, submissive, subjective, collaborative, gentle, pious, tactful, and reserved traits

Sex Stereotypes and Exaggeration

• Stereotypes are based on real differences between men and women but are exaggerated and oversimplified
• The "kernel of truth" theory suggests these stereotypes are based on reality but exaggerated

Gender Typing

• Cross-sex typed: Individual's gender doesn't match their sex
• Undifferentiated: Individuals who don't conform to gendered expectations (similar to androgynous)
• Sex-typed: Individual's gender matches their sex

Division of Labor Theory

• Social role theory: Differences between men and women contribute to the division of labor and social roles

Measures of Masculinity/Femininity

• Masculine-feminine construct: Sex differences and item responses are influenced by factors like education, age, and social class
• Bem-sex role inventory: Assesses individuals' levels of masculinity and femininity

Gender Role Conflict

• Stress arises when individuals experience pressure to conform to gender role expectations that conflict with their personal identities, leading to negative consequences

Purpose of Hormones

• Control and regulate physiological responses such as growth

Aggressive Behavior and Testosterone

• Research suggests testosterone is associated with aggressive and impulsive tendencies

Female vs Male Gonads

• Ovaries (female) and testes (male) are reproductive organs producing steroid hormones necessary for development and function

Chromosomal Disorders

• Klinefelter syndrome: Extra X chromosome in males (more body hair, sex drive, increased risk of social difficulties)
• Triple X syndrome: Three X chromosomes in females (usually no symptoms, but taller stature)
• Turner syndrome: Partial or complete absence of the second sex chromosome (rare, characterized by short stature)
• 47, XYY: Extra Y chromosome in males (most are taller)

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS)

• Individuals are genetically male but unable to respond to male sex hormones, leading to female external characteristics and internal male genitalia
• AIS is considered intersex

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)

• Disordered adrenal cortex resulting in increased androgen production, causing ambiguous genitalia in females

Sex Determination

• Two X chromosomes: Female development
• X and Y chromosome: Male development
• Embryos possess both Mullerian and Wolffian ducts until hormone production begins

Sex Differences in the Brain

• Males tend to have larger brains, but considering body size, this difference is less significant
• Women have thicker cortical areas and greater cortical activity connections
• The corpus callosum, connecting the two hemispheres, is larger in women

Freud's Psychosexual Stages

• Oral (birth-18 months): Gratification through eating, biting, and speech
• Anal (18-3 years): Pleasure from retaining and releasing bowel movements, demonstrating independence
• Phallic (3-6 years): Attraction to the opposite-sex parent, resolved by identification with the same-sex parent
• Latency (6 years-adolescence): Focus on same-gender friendships
• Genital (adolescence-adulthood): Puberty, sexual desires, and genitalia-seeking gratification

Critiques of Freud

• Androcentric: Based on a male model, potentially minimizing female experiences
• Acknowledges relying on what we know about boys to understand girls, potentially perpetuating bias

Social Learning Theory

• Suggests children can learn gendered behavior through observation without needing direct reinforcement or punishment

Shaping Gendered Behavior

• Begins before birth with parents buying gender-appropriate items
• Parents may have different expectations for boys and girls

Womb Envy

• Freud's concept of men's envy of women's ability to reproduce, driving them to seek success

Gender Constancy

• Understanding gender is a permanent attribute tied to biological characteristics

Basic Emotions

• Anger, fear, disgust, surprise, happiness, sadness

Transformer Family

• Parents who have worked through their own gender identities and are able to support a gender non-conforming child

Gender Dysphoria

• Distress associated with misalignment between assigned sex and gender identity
• The term "gender dysphoria" replaced "gender identity disorder" to de-emphasize the concept of disorder

Gender Intensification

• Increased pressure to conform to traditional gender role expectations during adolescence

Treatment of Non-Conforming Individuals

• Bullying and societal pressure can negatively impact non-conforming individuals

Gender Role Stress

• Amount of stress an individual experiences when adhering to gender role expectations

Types of Aggression

• Physical aggression: More common in boys (punching, play fighting)
• Relational aggression: More common in girls (covert behaviors, social exclusion, setting social rules)

Emergence of Sex Differences in Aggression

• First appears in early childhood, like preschool

Proactive Aggression

• Goal-directed aggression, lacking emotional arousal

Reactive Aggression

• Defensive response to provocation

Gender Role Ideologies

• Beliefs about appropriate behaviors for men and women, potentially influencing acceptance of violence

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

• Physical or psychological mistreatment to gain control in an intimate relationship
• Gender roles contribute to higher risk for women compared to men

Traditional Gender Ideologies and IPV

• Those with traditional gender ideologies may be more accepting of IPV

Components of Gender Identity

• Typicality: Feeling like a typical member of one's gender category
• Contentedness: Feeling comfortable with one's biological sex and gender category
• Conformity: Experiencing pressure to adhere to gender norms
• Intergroup bias: Favoring one's own gender group

Types of Emotions

• Submissive emotions: Sadness and anxiety, seeking comfort
• Disharmonious emotions: Anger and pleasure derived from superiority over others

Explore the various schools of thought regarding sex and gender differences in psychology. This quiz covers functionalism, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, social learning theory, and cognitive development theory. Understand the distinctions between sex as a biological concept and gender as a social construct.