Evaluation of the role of chromosomes and hormones in sex
and gender
Studies that don’t support the role of chromosomes.
Money: Studied a man called Bruce who is an identical twin. At the age of 7 months both twins were
circumcised however David Reimer’s penis was accidentally burnt off due to a strong current. After
contacting John Money they decided to raise him up as a girl. They treated and dressed him as a girl and
changed his name to Brenda. They used HRT and surgery. At 11 years of age Brenda has tomboy traits
but did and liked ‘girl’ things. She also copied her mother’s behaviour more than her fathers. Money
concluded a male can be successfully bought up as a girl (SUPPORTS THE ROLE OF HORMONES AS SHE
HAD HRT).
Tricker et al: 43 males were given either a weekly injection of testosterone or a placebo. After 10 weeks
there was no significant difference between the aggression levels of both groups
Eisenegger et al: Observed women playing a bargaining game. Those that were given testosterone
behaved in a more unfair manner than those that were given a placebo.
Social learning theory: Androgyny means that people can have an equal number of masculine and
feminine traits due to nurture.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Where you have excess levels of testosterone as your body cannot
make cortisol. Dessens studied 250 females with CAH who were raised as females. He found that 95%
identified as females. Shows that hormones don’t influence gender (Counterargument =
Dexamethasone is given to mother before baby is born and person with CAH is given medication to
increase cortisol levels).
S Guevedoces in the Dominican Republic: Guevedoces in the Dominican Republic ‘grow a penis’ at the
age of 12 and people with this condition often experience gender dysphoria. They are deficient in an
enzyme that converts testosterone into a substance that triggers the development of the penis.
Therefore they only develop a penis at the onset of puberty. Shows the hormones in your womb
influence your gender more than nurture.
Studies that support the role of chromosomes and hormones:
David Reimer: When Brenda was 14, she told the truth about how she felt like a boy. She became David
and had phalloplasty (bottom surgery). He even committed suicide due to familial and marital problem
in 2004.
Dabbs et al: Offenders with the highest levels of testosterone were more likely to have committed
violent/sexually motivated crimes.
Price: Found males with XYY chromosomes were more likely commit violent crimes.
S.A. Mednick: Found males with XYY chromosomes were more likely to be aggressive
Stephanie Van Goozen et al: Studied transgender individuals who were going through hormonal
replacement therapy. Transgender women showed decreases in aggression and visuo-spatial skills
whereas transgender men showed the opposite. Shows hormones can affect emotions and skill levels.
Quadagno et al: Found that female monkeys who were exposed to testosterone during pre-natal
development later engaged in more rough-and-tumble play than other females and were more
aggressive.
P
and gender
Studies that don’t support the role of chromosomes.
Money: Studied a man called Bruce who is an identical twin. At the age of 7 months both twins were
circumcised however David Reimer’s penis was accidentally burnt off due to a strong current. After
contacting John Money they decided to raise him up as a girl. They treated and dressed him as a girl and
changed his name to Brenda. They used HRT and surgery. At 11 years of age Brenda has tomboy traits
but did and liked ‘girl’ things. She also copied her mother’s behaviour more than her fathers. Money
concluded a male can be successfully bought up as a girl (SUPPORTS THE ROLE OF HORMONES AS SHE
HAD HRT).
Tricker et al: 43 males were given either a weekly injection of testosterone or a placebo. After 10 weeks
there was no significant difference between the aggression levels of both groups
Eisenegger et al: Observed women playing a bargaining game. Those that were given testosterone
behaved in a more unfair manner than those that were given a placebo.
Social learning theory: Androgyny means that people can have an equal number of masculine and
feminine traits due to nurture.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Where you have excess levels of testosterone as your body cannot
make cortisol. Dessens studied 250 females with CAH who were raised as females. He found that 95%
identified as females. Shows that hormones don’t influence gender (Counterargument =
Dexamethasone is given to mother before baby is born and person with CAH is given medication to
increase cortisol levels).
S Guevedoces in the Dominican Republic: Guevedoces in the Dominican Republic ‘grow a penis’ at the
age of 12 and people with this condition often experience gender dysphoria. They are deficient in an
enzyme that converts testosterone into a substance that triggers the development of the penis.
Therefore they only develop a penis at the onset of puberty. Shows the hormones in your womb
influence your gender more than nurture.
Studies that support the role of chromosomes and hormones:
David Reimer: When Brenda was 14, she told the truth about how she felt like a boy. She became David
and had phalloplasty (bottom surgery). He even committed suicide due to familial and marital problem
in 2004.
Dabbs et al: Offenders with the highest levels of testosterone were more likely to have committed
violent/sexually motivated crimes.
Price: Found males with XYY chromosomes were more likely commit violent crimes.
S.A. Mednick: Found males with XYY chromosomes were more likely to be aggressive
Stephanie Van Goozen et al: Studied transgender individuals who were going through hormonal
replacement therapy. Transgender women showed decreases in aggression and visuo-spatial skills
whereas transgender men showed the opposite. Shows hormones can affect emotions and skill levels.
Quadagno et al: Found that female monkeys who were exposed to testosterone during pre-natal
development later engaged in more rough-and-tumble play than other females and were more
aggressive.
P
