Notes: Adolescent Psych
CLASS DISCUSSION
Chapter 5: Gender
Effects of gender
● Prevalent from birth or even prior being born
● For boys,
● Rising hormone levels are associated with increased sexual activity, so
the more sex hormones they have, the more likely they are to engage in
sexual behavior.
● Boys are even more macho and idiotic in the presence of girls they're
attracted to
● For girls,
● They become more feminine around boys
● They tend to be girls influenced by the type of friends they have.
Hormone Level
● The more sex hormones they have typically, the more likely it is that they'll engage in
sexual behavior.
● Boys with rising hormone levels are more sexually active.
● Girls are more influenced by the type of friends that they have than their hormone
levels.
Brain Development
● Girls' brain development peaks earlier than boys, so girls have greater development
earlier on in the adolescent period.
● The part of the hypothalamus that is responsible for sexual behavior is larger in men
than women.
● The part of the parietal lobe that helps with visual-spatial skills is larger in men than
women.
● Males have larger brains, but oddly, the female skull contains more surface brain tissue.
● Girls' brain development peaks earlier than boys and have greater development earlier
on.
● Most differences are relatively minor or research has been inconsistent.
Social Influences
● Parents have a greater influence on the adolescent stage of their children.
● Boys are given more independence than girls.
● Parents are less concerned about the sexual vulnerability of boys than girls.
● Parents are being more protective when it comes to girls than boys.
● Families with girls tend to have more intense arguments about sex, curfews, and
friends than families with sons.
● Moms do more with kids regardless of the kid as a boy or girl. Dads, though, tend
to spend more time parenting when they have sons.
● Peers also influence your choices as an adolescent.
, Notes: Adolescent Psych
● They rather hang out with their same-sex groups.
● Reinforce to follow correct actions, not incorrect actions based on gender.
● Peers become part of the development in middle to late childhood.
● Children usually show a clear and definite preference for spending time with
same-sex peers over family.
● In the same-sex groups, they sort out what it means to be “ourselves” and often
reinforce to follow correct versus incorrect action based upon gender.
● In a group of boys, it appears as what it is to be a boy, and a group of girls
figures out what it is to be a girl by adolescence, though there's a much more mix
of genders in a group.
● School and Teachers
● Teachers are biased in different ways toward and against boys and girls
depending on the context being talked about.
● Most teachers are female, particularly in early education. Because of this, it's
hard for boys to find role models.
● For Boys,
■ They have issues they're more likely to suffer from learning disabilities.
■ They're more likely to be criticized by teachers.
■ In many cases, boys who have clear problems with language arts are
often overlooked.
■ For that reason, teachers often spend more time working with boys where
the naturally quiet girl does her own thing.
■ Boys almost always get more help when they have trouble with the
question.
■ Teachers give them more time and give them hints
● For Girls
■ They are generally better-behaved where the boy is wild and demanding
attention.
■ Girls are more likely to sit quietly and do what they're supposed to be
doing.
■ Girls are not as confident that they will do well in college, so the people
that are doing the best of the girls are the most are still worried that it's
not going to work out the way that they want to.
■ All began first grade with similar self-esteem but by middle school, the
girls have lower self-esteem.
Gender Roles
● Gender roles are ingrained in everything that we do.
○ Media is a huge source of information.
● This information is usually incredibly gendered stereotyped, particularly when looking at
what is aimed at girls.
○ If we look at the portrayal of girls teen girls in the media, the emphasis is
CLASS DISCUSSION
Chapter 5: Gender
Effects of gender
● Prevalent from birth or even prior being born
● For boys,
● Rising hormone levels are associated with increased sexual activity, so
the more sex hormones they have, the more likely they are to engage in
sexual behavior.
● Boys are even more macho and idiotic in the presence of girls they're
attracted to
● For girls,
● They become more feminine around boys
● They tend to be girls influenced by the type of friends they have.
Hormone Level
● The more sex hormones they have typically, the more likely it is that they'll engage in
sexual behavior.
● Boys with rising hormone levels are more sexually active.
● Girls are more influenced by the type of friends that they have than their hormone
levels.
Brain Development
● Girls' brain development peaks earlier than boys, so girls have greater development
earlier on in the adolescent period.
● The part of the hypothalamus that is responsible for sexual behavior is larger in men
than women.
● The part of the parietal lobe that helps with visual-spatial skills is larger in men than
women.
● Males have larger brains, but oddly, the female skull contains more surface brain tissue.
● Girls' brain development peaks earlier than boys and have greater development earlier
on.
● Most differences are relatively minor or research has been inconsistent.
Social Influences
● Parents have a greater influence on the adolescent stage of their children.
● Boys are given more independence than girls.
● Parents are less concerned about the sexual vulnerability of boys than girls.
● Parents are being more protective when it comes to girls than boys.
● Families with girls tend to have more intense arguments about sex, curfews, and
friends than families with sons.
● Moms do more with kids regardless of the kid as a boy or girl. Dads, though, tend
to spend more time parenting when they have sons.
● Peers also influence your choices as an adolescent.
, Notes: Adolescent Psych
● They rather hang out with their same-sex groups.
● Reinforce to follow correct actions, not incorrect actions based on gender.
● Peers become part of the development in middle to late childhood.
● Children usually show a clear and definite preference for spending time with
same-sex peers over family.
● In the same-sex groups, they sort out what it means to be “ourselves” and often
reinforce to follow correct versus incorrect action based upon gender.
● In a group of boys, it appears as what it is to be a boy, and a group of girls
figures out what it is to be a girl by adolescence, though there's a much more mix
of genders in a group.
● School and Teachers
● Teachers are biased in different ways toward and against boys and girls
depending on the context being talked about.
● Most teachers are female, particularly in early education. Because of this, it's
hard for boys to find role models.
● For Boys,
■ They have issues they're more likely to suffer from learning disabilities.
■ They're more likely to be criticized by teachers.
■ In many cases, boys who have clear problems with language arts are
often overlooked.
■ For that reason, teachers often spend more time working with boys where
the naturally quiet girl does her own thing.
■ Boys almost always get more help when they have trouble with the
question.
■ Teachers give them more time and give them hints
● For Girls
■ They are generally better-behaved where the boy is wild and demanding
attention.
■ Girls are more likely to sit quietly and do what they're supposed to be
doing.
■ Girls are not as confident that they will do well in college, so the people
that are doing the best of the girls are the most are still worried that it's
not going to work out the way that they want to.
■ All began first grade with similar self-esteem but by middle school, the
girls have lower self-esteem.
Gender Roles
● Gender roles are ingrained in everything that we do.
○ Media is a huge source of information.
● This information is usually incredibly gendered stereotyped, particularly when looking at
what is aimed at girls.
○ If we look at the portrayal of girls teen girls in the media, the emphasis is
