A-Level Psychology - PAPER 3 - Gender

the BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE between male and female including chromosomes, hormones and anatomy

XY

XX

PSYCHOLOGICAL and CULTURAL difference between male and females including attitudes, behaviour and social roles

social norms and cultural expectations (ENVIRONMENT)

child is inadvertently exposed to HORMONAL IMBALANCES in the womb

- genitals appear neither obviously male or female

1 in 2000 babies are born with some level of intersex

a set of beliefs and PRECONCEIVED IDEAS about what is expected for males and females in a GIVEN SOCIETY

women love shopping and men hate it

women are better at multi-tasking

displaying a BALANCE of masculine and feminine CHARACTERISTICS in one’s personality

(someone who cannot be identified as male or female)

the first SYSTEMATIC attempt to measure androgyny using a rating scale of 60 traits

VALIDITY

RELIABILITY

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

CULTURAL ISSUES

TEMPORAL VALIDITY

ETHNOCENTRIC

they are found in the NUCLEUS of living cells and CARRY INFORMATION in the form of GENES; the 23rd pair = biological sex

DNA - genes are short sections of DNA

a CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE circulated in the blood that controls and REGULATES the activity of certain cells and organs

a hormone from the ANDROGEN group that is produced mainly in the MALE TESTES

the primary female hormone, which plays an important role on the MENSTRUAL CYCLE and REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

a hormone, which causes the UTERUS TO CONTRACT during labour and stimulates LACTATION

SUPPORT RESEARCH (Dr. Money)

SUPPORT RESEARCH (Van Goozen)

SUPPORT RESEARCH (Dabbs)

CONFLICTING EVIDENCE (Tricker)

CONFLICTING EVIDENCE (Maccoby & Jacklin)

POPULATION VALIDITY

any sex chromosome pattern that DEVIATES from the usual XX or XY formation

klinefelter’s syndrome

turner’s syndrome

affects 1:1000 males

XXY chromosomes

47 chromosomes instead of 46

reduced body hair

some breast development

underdeveloped genitals

more prone to breast cancer

poor memory

poor problem solving

don't respond well in stressful situations

affects 1:2000 women

only have one X chromosome

45 chromosomes rather than 46

no menstrual cycle

do not develop breasts

hips similar size to breast

high than average reading ability

lower mathematical skills

struggle with visual tasks

gender knowledge develops in the same way as all knowledge

through INTERACTION with the world

universal

GENDER IDENTITY (2-3 years)

label others

judgements based on external features

do not understand gender is permanent

GENDER STABILITY (4-6 years)

gender is fixed

| - can be confused by external changes e.g. woman wears trousers

GENDER CONSTANCY (7-12 years)

changes in appearance does not mean change in gender

| - start to learn gender appropriate behaviour

children are MOTIVATED to acquire knowledge

earlier age than Kohlberg suggested

develop understanding ACTIVELY rather than passively

3 years

adults

peers

media

= schemas are related to cultural norms

in-group and out-group

in-group puts down out-group to raise self esteem

girls will say boys are nasty and girls who play with boys are teased

child forms own-schema

based on behaviours that are appropriate for them

develop with experience

"a doll is for a girl" --> "i am a girl, the doll is for me"

beliefs are resilient

| - ignore info that is not consistent with in-group info

children pass through 5 stages (OAPLG)

gender occurs in 3rd stage (phallic)

3-6 years

before this children are bi-sexual

incestuous feeling towards mother

jealous of father

fear of castration from father

resolve anxiety = give up love for mother and IDENTIFY with FATHER

double resentment for mother

love rival & castrated in the womb = penis envy

substitute penis envy for desire to have children

thus IDENTIFY with MOTHER

identify with same-sex parent as it resolves their respective complexes

adopt the attitudes of the same-sex parent and take on their gender identity

boys and girls receive a 'second-hand' gender identity at the end of the phallic stage

learned form observing and imitating other people

NUTURE

4 mediational processes

attention

retention

motor reproduction

motivation

pay attention to behaviour

| - watch mum doing the ironing)

retain and reproduce the information they have observed

| - remember what she was doing when she was ironing

hearing dad thanking mum for ironing shirt

| - direct or indirect reinforcement increases motivation e.g. being praised for 'being just like mummy'

physically capable to reproduce behaviour

| - copy the action by ironing dolls clothes with toy iron

the extent to which we relate to a model

| more likely to copy behaviour of models we identify with

copying a role model who they have seen being rewarded for their behaviour

being praised for demonstrating a behaviour they have observed

they way in which boys and girls are encouraged to show DISTINCT GENDER-APPROPRIATE behaviour