Problem 7
Gender: characteristics of people as either male or female
Gender identity: involves a sense of one’s own gender, including
knowledge, understanding & acceptance of being male or female
- Gender identity is likely to develop before the age of 2
- Kids start using gender labels at around 1 and a half years old –
females use gender labels earlier than boys
- Found that gender labels were related w gender-typed play (girls w
dolls; boys w trucks)
Gender roles: set of expectations that determine how males or females
should think/act
- Kids in preschool start acting according to their culture’s sets of
gender roles
Gender typing refers to acquiring characteristics of the traditional
male/female roles
- Traditional male roles include fighting; traditional female roles include
crying
- Gender typed behavior (girls-dolls; boys-trucks) increases during the
preschool years – those who show more gender typed behavior,
continue doing so later in life
How do hormones and the brain influence the differences between men and
women?
Biological Influences
Hormones
Estrogens & androgens have the most influence on gender – occur in both
gender, but at different concentrations
Estrogens mainly influence female sex characteristics & regulate the
menstrual cycle
- Estrogens are a class of hormones, which also include estradiol
- In females, estrogens are mainly produced in the ovaries
Androgens mainly influence male sex characteristics
- Important androgen: testosterone
- Androgens are produced by adrenal glands in both females & males –
in males they’re produced by the testes
In the first weeks of gestation, male & female embryos look alike
- Male genitals start differentiating from female genitals when a gene in
the Y chromosome pushes a small piece of tissue to turn into testes
- Since women only have XX chromosomes, they develop ovaries
Some people get exposed to unusual amounts of hormones during early
development, causing them to develop problems like:
, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH):
- Some girls have this condition, which is caused by genetic defects
- This causes them to have enlarged adrenal glands, which makes them
release more androgens than normal
- CAH girls have XX chromosomes – but their genitals don’t look like
normal male/female genitals
- CAH girls usually identify as female, however, usually they aren’t
content with being female & show more interest in male activities
Androgen-Insensitive Males:
- A small number of XY males don’t have androgen cells in their body
- This causes them to have a female body, identify as female & be
attracted to males
Pelvic Field Defect:
- A few infants have this condition, causing males to be born w a
missing penis
- These boys have normal amounts of testosterone prenatally; their
castration happens right after birth, usually causing them to be raised
as females – however they still usually identify as males
- The exposure to androgens in the mother’s belly, has more impact on
gender identity than how they were brought up
John Money experiment:
- 2 identical twin brothers – one lost his penis due to a bad circumcision
- This twin, Bruce, was castrated, given female hormones, renamed
Brenda & was raised as female
- John Money was their psychologist, who concluded the sex
reassignment was effective
- However, “Brenda” didn’t adjust well at all & eventually was told
about the reassignment
- He decided to be called David and had hormonal & surgical treatment
– David eventually got married
- However, he ended up committing suicide at the age of 38
Found that there’s a relationship between testosterone levels and
aggressive & sexual behavior
- Higher levels of testosterone in the fetus is linked w more stereotypical
male play (like more aggressive play) in boys & girls aged 6-10
Can gender identity be influenced by nature and/or nurture? What are the
most common theories about this?
Gender: characteristics of people as either male or female
Gender identity: involves a sense of one’s own gender, including
knowledge, understanding & acceptance of being male or female
- Gender identity is likely to develop before the age of 2
- Kids start using gender labels at around 1 and a half years old –
females use gender labels earlier than boys
- Found that gender labels were related w gender-typed play (girls w
dolls; boys w trucks)
Gender roles: set of expectations that determine how males or females
should think/act
- Kids in preschool start acting according to their culture’s sets of
gender roles
Gender typing refers to acquiring characteristics of the traditional
male/female roles
- Traditional male roles include fighting; traditional female roles include
crying
- Gender typed behavior (girls-dolls; boys-trucks) increases during the
preschool years – those who show more gender typed behavior,
continue doing so later in life
How do hormones and the brain influence the differences between men and
women?
Biological Influences
Hormones
Estrogens & androgens have the most influence on gender – occur in both
gender, but at different concentrations
Estrogens mainly influence female sex characteristics & regulate the
menstrual cycle
- Estrogens are a class of hormones, which also include estradiol
- In females, estrogens are mainly produced in the ovaries
Androgens mainly influence male sex characteristics
- Important androgen: testosterone
- Androgens are produced by adrenal glands in both females & males –
in males they’re produced by the testes
In the first weeks of gestation, male & female embryos look alike
- Male genitals start differentiating from female genitals when a gene in
the Y chromosome pushes a small piece of tissue to turn into testes
- Since women only have XX chromosomes, they develop ovaries
Some people get exposed to unusual amounts of hormones during early
development, causing them to develop problems like:
, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH):
- Some girls have this condition, which is caused by genetic defects
- This causes them to have enlarged adrenal glands, which makes them
release more androgens than normal
- CAH girls have XX chromosomes – but their genitals don’t look like
normal male/female genitals
- CAH girls usually identify as female, however, usually they aren’t
content with being female & show more interest in male activities
Androgen-Insensitive Males:
- A small number of XY males don’t have androgen cells in their body
- This causes them to have a female body, identify as female & be
attracted to males
Pelvic Field Defect:
- A few infants have this condition, causing males to be born w a
missing penis
- These boys have normal amounts of testosterone prenatally; their
castration happens right after birth, usually causing them to be raised
as females – however they still usually identify as males
- The exposure to androgens in the mother’s belly, has more impact on
gender identity than how they were brought up
John Money experiment:
- 2 identical twin brothers – one lost his penis due to a bad circumcision
- This twin, Bruce, was castrated, given female hormones, renamed
Brenda & was raised as female
- John Money was their psychologist, who concluded the sex
reassignment was effective
- However, “Brenda” didn’t adjust well at all & eventually was told
about the reassignment
- He decided to be called David and had hormonal & surgical treatment
– David eventually got married
- However, he ended up committing suicide at the age of 38
Found that there’s a relationship between testosterone levels and
aggressive & sexual behavior
- Higher levels of testosterone in the fetus is linked w more stereotypical
male play (like more aggressive play) in boys & girls aged 6-10
Can gender identity be influenced by nature and/or nurture? What are the
most common theories about this?
