Understanding Gender and Sex Concepts

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Questions and Answers

What is a characteristic of benevolent sexism?

It encourages women's independence.

It involves protective views of women. (correct)

It focuses on women's competencies.

It promotes equality between genders.

How is hostile sexism primarily characterized?

By direct and negative attitudes towards women. (correct)

By positive reinforcement of gender roles.

By mixed feelings about women's roles.

By a focus on women’s achievements.

What does ambivalent sexism refer to?

Positive and negative stereotypes that promote inequality. (correct)

Ambiguous support for women's independence.

Equal treatment of genders in professional settings.

A clear rejection of traditional gender roles.

What is a problem associated with benevolent sexism?

It leads to patronizing attitudes towards women. Signup and view all the answers

In the stereotype content model, how are women typically perceived compared to men?

Higher in warmth and lower in competence. Signup and view all the answers

According to the stereotype content model, what primary dimensions are used to stereotype groups of people?

Warmth and competence. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the implications of traditional gender role beliefs associated with benevolent sexism?

They can result in a reluctance to hire women in certain jobs. Signup and view all the answers

What view is NOT typically associated with hostile sexism?

Men are responsible for protecting women. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary motivation for men regarding their masculinity?

To gain social approval Signup and view all the answers

Which behavior is most likely influenced by a perceived threat to masculinity?

Increased risk-taking in gambling Signup and view all the answers

What attitude might a man exhibit if a hypothetical partner earns more money than he does?

Discomfort with the situation Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is most strongly associated with traditional masculinity?

Power and agentic qualities Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence for men scoring low on a strength test?

A need to reaffirm their masculinity Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a response to perceived threats to masculinity?

Risk aversion Signup and view all the answers

What can increased stress levels in men, particularly those with low masculinity identification, lead to?

Higher levels of aggression Signup and view all the answers

What reaction is reported to be stronger towards homosexuality compared to heterosexuality?

Disgust Signup and view all the answers

What behavior is significantly more likely to be observed among men reacting to threats to their masculinity?

Exhibiting increased aggression Signup and view all the answers

Which group reportedly faces more prejudice than homosexual and bisexual individuals?

Transgender people Signup and view all the answers

In the study involving a woman with hairy legs, what factor influenced how participants rated her?

Social consensus Signup and view all the answers

What did men believe about women's perceptions of aggressive behavior in men?

Women consider aggression more attractive than it is Signup and view all the answers

What was the purpose of the study where participants rated a woman with hairy legs?

To gauge attitudes towards gender non-conformity Signup and view all the answers

What did the findings suggest about the relationship between reported social consensus and personal ratings?

Personal ratings worsened when perceived as disgusting by others Signup and view all the answers

What type of behaviors did the study by Vandello assess regarding men's actions?

Aggression and peacekeeping Signup and view all the answers

What commonly held belief about women’s preferences regarding men’s behavior was challenged by Vandello's research?

Women find aggressive men more attractive than they claim Signup and view all the answers

What emotional response is associated with the stereotype of high warmth and low competence?

Pity/sympathy Signup and view all the answers

How does a woman's description as highly talented affect her hiring chances?

It decreases her chances if the job requires friendliness. Signup and view all the answers

In Parks-Stamm's research, how did women describe as successful at work get perceived by others?

Less friendly and kind Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of women being described as business oriented?

They were viewed as less friendly. Signup and view all the answers

What was the effect of women criticizing successful peers according to the study?

Their self-esteem increased. Signup and view all the answers

In the hiring scenario described, which aspect of a woman's characteristics led to a hiring disadvantage?

Being highly skilled and friendly when kindness was needed. Signup and view all the answers

What perception affects women who are viewed as successful in traditionally male tasks?

Their success leads to diminished perceptions of their friendliness. Signup and view all the answers

Why might women face backlash for being agentic, based on Rudman and Glick's study?

Because their success diminishes others' self-esteem. Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of focusing on a person’s appearance rather than their personality based on the study involving Sarah Palin?

Participants were less likely to vote for Palin. Signup and view all the answers

According to further research, how were women perceived when focus shifted to their physical appearance?

As less warm, competent, and moral. Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary finding regarding emotional traits in men and women based on sexual attire?

Women and men were seen as having less emotional and mental traits. Signup and view all the answers

How does attire influence perceptions of blame in cases of sexual harassment according to Loughnan's work?

Women are more likely to be blamed when dressed revealingly. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors did NOT impact the perception of women in the studies discussed?

The attractiveness of the woman. Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant irony in the Republican strategy related to Sarah Palin's public image?

The emphasis on her appearance led to reduced voting intention. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of appearance focus, what impact does using swimming wear or nudity have compared to full clothing?

More skin results in a greater focus on physical attributes. Signup and view all the answers

Which trait was Palin rated higher on when participants focused on her appearance?

Object-like traits. Signup and view all the answers

What type of aggression do women tend to score higher on compared to men?

Indirect aggression Signup and view all the answers

Which emotion is typically viewed as more acceptable for women to express than men?

Sadness Signup and view all the answers

How is anger perceived differently in men and women according to societal norms?

Anger is attributed to more internal traits for women than for men. Signup and view all the answers

What explanation did LaFrance and Hecht propose for why women smile more than men?

It reflects social expectations related to power dynamics. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about men's emotional expression?

Men are seen as less emotional than women overall. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an evolutionary view as to why women smile more often than men?

To signal warmth and cooperation for survival. Signup and view all the answers

In what context are women typically evaluated more negatively than men for expressing anger?

Professional environments. Signup and view all the answers

What type of aggression is men more likely to exhibit compared to women?

Direct aggression Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Content Warning

This lecture contains potentially sensitive topics, including Gender, Sexuality, Sexual Objectification, Sexual Abuse/Rape/Assault, Victim Blaming, Sexism, and Mental Health.
Students are advised to take care of their well-being if these themes are distressing.
No images or detailed descriptions of abuse will be shown.

Defining Gender and Sex

Gender: Socially constructed roles, behaviours, expectations, and attributes that society deems appropriate for men and women.
Sex: Biological and physiological characteristics used to define men and women.
Gender Identity: The gender a person identifies with.

Negative Media Reactions

Examples of negative media reactions:
- Denying a person's womanhood due to lack of life experiences or lack of physical traits.

Gender Roles and Perceptions

Many people take gender roles seriously and are worked up by non-normative behaviours.
Gender in everyday social perception isn't just a matter of biology or psychology.
Some people believe they are living with the "wrong body".

Research on Gender Identities

Current gender identity research is accumulating across diverse identities.
Research is being conducted at the University of Lincoln.

Focus on Gender Binary Research

This lecture focuses on research using a gender binary.
Gender research is becoming more inclusive.

Gender Stereotypes (Alice Eagly's Research)

Men: Stereotyped as higher on "agentic" traits (intelligence, physical power, capability, dominance).
Women: Stereotyped as higher on "communal" traits (warmth, kindness, cooperation, other-before-self).
Heilman and Eagly (2008) study on gender stereotypes in workplaces.

Stereotypes as Widely Held Beliefs

Stereotypes are widely held beliefs, not necessarily reflecting individual beliefs.
The lecturer is teaching general views based on research, not endorsing them personally.

Historical Advertisements (Examples)

Historical advertisements featuring gender stereotypes.
These include advertisements featuring women as requiring help or needing to gain weight etc.

Types of Sexism

Benevolent Sexism: Indirect and subtle views promoting inequality ("women should be protected by men").
Hostile Sexism: Direct and aversive negative views of women ("women exaggerate problems at work").
Ambivalent Sexism: Mixed valence stereotypes about women that promote inequality (Glick & Fiske, 1996).

This research is in its infancy, having for a century almost exclusively used a gender binary (for social-cultural reasons).
Greater difficulty exists in collecting data on minorities and the tendency to use data regarding larger groups.

Stereotypes on Warmth and Competence

People are often stereotyped based on warmth and competence.
Women are typically rated higher in warmth but lower in competence than men.

Stereotype and Self-Objectification

Women, especially when viewed in objectifying ways, tend to be perceived as less competent and moral than men.
When people focus on appearance, women are often rated less positively (even when appearance is not relevant to that role or situation)..
Exposure to objectified images of women can negatively affect women's performance due to decreased physical movement, time spent talking and a reduction in cognitive performance.
Women are thus less effective at self-advocacy and are less likely to protest for rights.

Gender Differences in Emotional Expression

Anger is more often seen as a masculine emotion than a feminine emotion.
Women may be negatively evaluated for expressing anger.
Sadness is generally viewed as more socially acceptable for women than for men.
Men tend to express less emotion.

Smiling behaviour

Women smile more often than men in cross-cultural studies.
This is suggested to be due to social expectations (to maintain social cohesion), instead of it being a genuine display of happiness or joy.

Grieving and Emotional Response

Men tend to experience grief over the loss of a spouse more intensely and chronically than women.
This is partly due to fewer social support systems and existing cultural norms urging men to be strong and suppress emotions.

Factual Cues and Empathetic Response

Women are more adept at reading and interpreting facial cues and emotions in voices than men.
This ability is probably an evolutionary adaption to help them better identify those around them who may be in danger or could offer support or protection.
Women generally score higher in empathetic responses.

Differences in Conversation Style

Men tend to speak more loudly and interrupt more frequently than women in conversations.
Women often utilize more indirect speech than men.

Objectification Theory

According to objectification theory, women are more likely to have their self-worth associated with their physical appearance than men.
Resultant rules regarding female appearance are more rigid and unattainable than for male appearance.
This leads to the internalization of body image standards, which correlates with body shame and possible eating disorders.

Perceiving Others

How people perceive others (especially women) changes based on the focus of attention.
Focussing on objectified image of a women can influence perception as less competent and trustworthy.

Study Results on Gender Stereotypes

Studies show how observers perceive the behaviours and characteristics of men and women in hypothetical situations.

Cultural Variations in Gender

Cultural context and income inequality among genders affect the degree to which gender stereotypes are apparent.
Women in more equal societies may be evaluated differently than seen in more patriarchal cultures.

Gerulf Rieger's Research

Rieger's research indicates that both men and women can be attracted to both men and women; based on physical level attraction.
This suggests that sexual orientation is less determined by physical attraction.

Prejudice Toward Same-Sex Attraction

Some men indicate a greater emotional response to gay male pornography when they themselves score higher on prejudice toward homosexuality.

Additional Notes

The information provided is from lecture slides provided by Nathan Heflick, PhD.

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Description

This quiz explores the definitions of gender and sex, including gender identity and the societal implications of gender roles. It also addresses the negative media reactions and societal perceptions that can impact individuals. Prepare to engage with sensitive topics related to gender and mental health.