sex differences and gender-role development chapter 13

Sex Differences and Sex Differences and Gender-Role Gender-Role DevelopmentDevelopment

Chapter 13Chapter 13

DefinitionsDefinitions

Sex = biological identitySex = biological identity Gender = social and cultural identity Gender = social and cultural identity

as male/femaleas male/female

Gender-role standard = a behavior, Gender-role standard = a behavior, value, or motive that society deems value, or motive that society deems more appropriate for males/femalesmore appropriate for males/females

SOME FACTS AND FICTIONS SOME FACTS AND FICTIONS ABOUT SEX DIFFERENCESABOUT SEX DIFFERENCES

Actual Psychological Differences Actual Psychological Differences Between the SexesBetween the Sexes– Verbal Ability – girls are superiorVerbal Ability – girls are superior– Visual/Spatial Abilities – boys are superiorVisual/Spatial Abilities – boys are superior

Evident by 4, persists across life spanEvident by 4, persists across life span

– Mathematical Abilities Mathematical Abilities In adolescence, boys better at arithmetic In adolescence, boys better at arithmetic

reasoningreasoning Girls better at computational skillsGirls better at computational skills


– AggressionAggressionBoys Boys physically and verbally physically and verballyGirls Girls covert covert


– Other Sex DifferencesOther Sex Differences Activity level – boys are more physically Activity level – boys are more physically

active (even before birth) active (even before birth) Fear, timidity, and risk-taking – girls are Fear, timidity, and risk-taking – girls are

more fearful, timid, and take fewer risksmore fearful, timid, and take fewer risks– No difference in cognitive impulsivityNo difference in cognitive impulsivity

Developmental vulnerability – boys are Developmental vulnerability – boys are more vulnerable to prenatal and more vulnerable to prenatal and perinatal hazards and diseaseperinatal hazards and disease

SOME FACTS AND FICTIONS SOME FACTS AND FICTIONS ABOUT SEX DIFFERENCESABOUT SEX DIFFERENCESConclusionsConclusions

–Differences reflect group Differences reflect group averagesaverages

–Differences are smallDifferences are small–Differences are most apparent at Differences are most apparent at the extremesthe extremes

–Males and females are much Males and females are much more psychologically similar than more psychologically similar than they are differentthey are different

SOME FACTS AND FICTIONS SOME FACTS AND FICTIONS ABOUT SEX DIFFERENCESABOUT SEX DIFFERENCESEmotional expressivity / Emotional expressivity / sensitivitysensitivity–Beginning in toddlerhoodBeginning in toddlerhood

Boys Boys anger angerGirls Girls other emotions other emotions

Compliance – girls are more Compliance – girls are more compliantcompliant

Gender Differences in Social Gender Differences in Social BehaviorBehavior

Gender segregationGender segregation Play stylesPlay styles Social Influence StylesSocial Influence Styles

– CharlesworthCharlesworth– 4 children, playing with movie viewer 4 children, playing with movie viewer

designed so only one child could watch designed so only one child could watch at a timeat a time

Gender Differences in Social Gender Differences in Social BehaviorBehavior

Forms of Verbal InfluenceForms of Verbal Influence Social InteractionSocial Interaction

– Jacklin & MaccobyJacklin & Maccoby– Pairs of neutrally dressed, unacquainted Pairs of neutrally dressed, unacquainted

33 m/o brought to playroom33 m/o brought to playroom Group StructureGroup Structure

THEORIES OF GENDER-TYPING THEORIES OF GENDER-TYPING AND GENDER ROLE AND GENDER ROLE

DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT Evolutionary TheoryEvolutionary Theory

– Males and females face different Males and females face different evolutionary pressuresevolutionary pressures


DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT– Criticisms of the Evolutionary Criticisms of the Evolutionary

ApproachApproachApplies to differences that apply Applies to differences that apply cross-culturallycross-culturally

Ignores differences limited to Ignores differences limited to cultures or historical periodscultures or historical periods

Social roles hypothesisSocial roles hypothesis– Cultures assign roles based on genderCultures assign roles based on gender– Socialization practicesSocialization practices


DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT Evidence for Social-Labeling InfluencesEvidence for Social-Labeling Influences

– Cultural influencesCultural influences Mead’s study of tribal societiesMead’s study of tribal societies

– Arapesh – both males and females Arapesh – both males and females were taught to be expressivewere taught to be expressive

– Mundugumor – both genders were Mundugumor – both genders were taught to be “masculine”taught to be “masculine”

– Tchambuli – from Western standards, Tchambuli – from Western standards, males more feminine, females more males more feminine, females more masculinemasculine


DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT Evidence for Social-Labeling Evidence for Social-Labeling

InfluencesInfluences– Condry & CondryCondry & Condry

Saw film of 9 m/o presented with jack-Saw film of 9 m/o presented with jack-in-the-boxin-the-box

Half told male, half told femaleHalf told male, half told female ““boy” was described as angryboy” was described as angry ““girl” was described as afraidgirl” was described as afraid


DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT A psychobiosocial viewpointA psychobiosocial viewpoint Freud’s Psychoanalytic TheoryFreud’s Psychoanalytic Theory Social Learning TheorySocial Learning Theory

– Direct tuition/reinforcementDirect tuition/reinforcement– Observational learningObservational learning


DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT Kohlberg’s Cognitive-Developmental Kohlberg’s Cognitive-Developmental

TheoryTheory– Basic gender identityBasic gender identity– Gender stabilityGender stability– Gender consistencyGender consistency

Gender Schema Theory (Martin & Gender Schema Theory (Martin & Halverson)Halverson)


DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT Martin & HalversonMartin & Halverson

– Show 5-6 y/o pictures:Show 5-6 y/o pictures: Boy engaging in traditional masculine Boy engaging in traditional masculine

activityactivity Girl engaging in traditional masculine Girl engaging in traditional masculine

activityactivity Boy engaging in traditional feminine activityBoy engaging in traditional feminine activity Girl engaging in traditional feminine activityGirl engaging in traditional feminine activity

– One week later, show pictures…One week later, show pictures…


DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT MartinMartin

– 4-10 y/o told story4-10 y/o told story– Character in story was either a boy or Character in story was either a boy or

girlgirl– Description was neutral, stereotyped, or Description was neutral, stereotyped, or

counterstereotypedcounterstereotyped


DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT An Integrative TheoryAn Integrative Theory

– Biological theories account for major Biological theories account for major biological developments biological developments

– Social-theories account for differential Social-theories account for differential reinforcement processesreinforcement processes

– Cognitive development explains the Cognitive development explains the growth of categorization skillsgrowth of categorization skills

– Gender schemas are also important as Gender schemas are also important as are models as children ageare models as children age

Androgyny – Bem Androgyny – Bem

Historically, masculinity and Historically, masculinity and femininity were at opposite ends of a femininity were at opposite ends of a single dimensionsingle dimension

Androgyny – sees them as 2 separate Androgyny – sees them as 2 separate dimensions, allowing individuals to dimensions, allowing individuals to be high in both masculine and be high in both masculine and feminine traitsfeminine traits

Scoring for BEMScoring for BEM

Use the scoring guide to tally up scores Use the scoring guide to tally up scores for a and b answersfor a and b answers

A answers: tally scores, divide by 20 (as A answers: tally scores, divide by 20 (as long as you didn’t omit any “a” answers), long as you didn’t omit any “a” answers), place number in the box at the bottom of place number in the box at the bottom of your sheet labeled R.S. and a.your sheet labeled R.S. and a.

B answers: tally scores, divide by 20 (as B answers: tally scores, divide by 20 (as long as you didn’t omit any “b” answers), long as you didn’t omit any “b” answers), place number in box labeled R.S. and b.place number in box labeled R.S. and b.

Do Androgynous People Really Exist?Do Androgynous People Really Exist?– In a college student sampleIn a college student sample

33% were masculine men or 33% were masculine men or feminine womenfeminine women

30% were androgynous30% were androgynous37% undifferentiated or gender-37% undifferentiated or gender-type reversedtype reversed

Are There Advantages to Being Are There Advantages to Being Androgynous?Androgynous?– More highly adaptable to the situationMore highly adaptable to the situation– Higher self-esteemHigher self-esteem– More likeable More likeable – Perceived as better adjustedPerceived as better adjusted

The masculine traits are more important for The masculine traits are more important for adjustment adjustment

– Advantages may differ across lifespanAdvantages may differ across lifespan

sex differences and gender-role development chapter 13

Documents

gender differences

theories of gender

small differences

biological identity

masculine slide

different slide

malesfemales slide

compliant slide