Course 1.5 Developmental Psychology
Problem 7- Gender Identity
Defining gender
Sex: A person’s biological identity, his/her chromosomes, physical manifestations and
hormonal influences. Biological & physiological differences
Gender: A person’s social and cultural identity as male / female. Cognitive & social
differences.
Gender typing: It is the process through which children acquire the values, motives and
behaviors that are considered as appropriate for their gender, based on their cultures. {So
children develop gender based beliefs about what is appropriate or not and that is based on
gender stereotypes}.
Gender stereotypes: The beliefs of the entire culture about what is the appropriate and
acceptable behavior for each sex.
Gender role: Motive, value or other component of behavior that is actually exhibited and
more typical or appropriate for the members of each sex. Reflection of stereotype in
everyday life.
Expressive role: A social role encouraged in females, when they should be more
nurturing, cooperative, kind, sensitive to the others need. Preparation for maternal
role.
Instrumental role: Directed to males, that they should be dominant, independent,
competitive, assertive and goal oriented.
They encourage both children to have these attributes but adults emphasize on what
they think as important and stress them out differently to each gender.
Gender identity: The perception of oneself as either masculine or feminine.
Sexual orientation: The preference for same or opposite gender sexual partners
Development- Gender Typing
Gender concept: Ability to discriminate males and females and place oneself in one of these
categories.
4 months: They match female and male voices with faces when tested.
1st year: They can reliably discriminate still photographs of men and women.
2-3rd year: They begin to tell what they know about gender, labeling mommy, daddy,
and later boy and girl. But it hard to understand that is permanent so they think girls
could be boys.
, Course 1.5 Developmental Psychology
Problem 7- Gender Identity
5-7th year: They begin to understand that sex is unchanging so most of them have a
future oriented identity, as boy and girl.
Gender identity includes how you feel as a member of the biological sex, or if there is
freedom to explore other things or do not fit in the sex spectrum.
Gender role stereotypes acquisition
2-3rd year: Mostly between, 2 ½ to 3 ½ years old toddlers engage in sex stereotype
activities, prefer specific toys, think that boys should help fathers and girls to help
mothers with chores like cooking etc. The ones that know the most are the ones that
can correctly label photographs of other boys and girls.
Preschool- Early grade school children: They learn more about toys, activities and
they make distinctions on sexes like learning the positive traits that characterize
their own gender and negative traits associated with other sex. Many 3-7 year olds
take stereotypes really seriously, they believe they are standards that cannot be
violated. Intolerant of transgressions.
8-9th year: They become more flexible and less strict on gender roles. They say that
they can but that does not mean they approve them. Hard reactions to boys
behaving in a girl-way manner.
Adolescence: In adolescence, they become even more flexible but then there is a
twist to chauvinism again. So they develop even more strict gender role
stereotypical views. That is a result because of
Gender Intensification: A magnification of sex differences associated with
increased pressure to conform to the traditional roles. Masculinity,
Feminine side. Parental and Peer influence.
In late childhood kind of flexible again.
Cultural differences, in Western cultures they become more flexible regarding gender-roles
and in other cultures in Asia for example where they are in favor of the maintenance of the
societal cohesion so they are more encouraged to conform to appropriate gender-roles.
Gender-typed behavior
The easiest way to observe they gender- typed behavior is to monitor with whom and what
they play with. The first 24 months they engage in these kind of behaviors and at the second
year of age they refuse to play with cross-sex toys, even when they are the only available
objects.
2-3 years: Girls select from 2 years to play only with girls. Boys at the age of 3 select
same sex playmates. That becomes progressively stronger.
Gender segregation: It is the tendency to choose same sex playmates and to
think of other sex members as outgroups
5-6 ½ years: They increasingly select same sex companions.
Grade-School/Preadolescent children: They find cross gender contacts less pleasing
and they behave more negatively toward the opposite sex. Mostly 10-11 year olds.
Problem 7- Gender Identity
Defining gender
Sex: A person’s biological identity, his/her chromosomes, physical manifestations and
hormonal influences. Biological & physiological differences
Gender: A person’s social and cultural identity as male / female. Cognitive & social
differences.
Gender typing: It is the process through which children acquire the values, motives and
behaviors that are considered as appropriate for their gender, based on their cultures. {So
children develop gender based beliefs about what is appropriate or not and that is based on
gender stereotypes}.
Gender stereotypes: The beliefs of the entire culture about what is the appropriate and
acceptable behavior for each sex.
Gender role: Motive, value or other component of behavior that is actually exhibited and
more typical or appropriate for the members of each sex. Reflection of stereotype in
everyday life.
Expressive role: A social role encouraged in females, when they should be more
nurturing, cooperative, kind, sensitive to the others need. Preparation for maternal
role.
Instrumental role: Directed to males, that they should be dominant, independent,
competitive, assertive and goal oriented.
They encourage both children to have these attributes but adults emphasize on what
they think as important and stress them out differently to each gender.
Gender identity: The perception of oneself as either masculine or feminine.
Sexual orientation: The preference for same or opposite gender sexual partners
Development- Gender Typing
Gender concept: Ability to discriminate males and females and place oneself in one of these
categories.
4 months: They match female and male voices with faces when tested.
1st year: They can reliably discriminate still photographs of men and women.
2-3rd year: They begin to tell what they know about gender, labeling mommy, daddy,
and later boy and girl. But it hard to understand that is permanent so they think girls
could be boys.
, Course 1.5 Developmental Psychology
Problem 7- Gender Identity
5-7th year: They begin to understand that sex is unchanging so most of them have a
future oriented identity, as boy and girl.
Gender identity includes how you feel as a member of the biological sex, or if there is
freedom to explore other things or do not fit in the sex spectrum.
Gender role stereotypes acquisition
2-3rd year: Mostly between, 2 ½ to 3 ½ years old toddlers engage in sex stereotype
activities, prefer specific toys, think that boys should help fathers and girls to help
mothers with chores like cooking etc. The ones that know the most are the ones that
can correctly label photographs of other boys and girls.
Preschool- Early grade school children: They learn more about toys, activities and
they make distinctions on sexes like learning the positive traits that characterize
their own gender and negative traits associated with other sex. Many 3-7 year olds
take stereotypes really seriously, they believe they are standards that cannot be
violated. Intolerant of transgressions.
8-9th year: They become more flexible and less strict on gender roles. They say that
they can but that does not mean they approve them. Hard reactions to boys
behaving in a girl-way manner.
Adolescence: In adolescence, they become even more flexible but then there is a
twist to chauvinism again. So they develop even more strict gender role
stereotypical views. That is a result because of
Gender Intensification: A magnification of sex differences associated with
increased pressure to conform to the traditional roles. Masculinity,
Feminine side. Parental and Peer influence.
In late childhood kind of flexible again.
Cultural differences, in Western cultures they become more flexible regarding gender-roles
and in other cultures in Asia for example where they are in favor of the maintenance of the
societal cohesion so they are more encouraged to conform to appropriate gender-roles.
Gender-typed behavior
The easiest way to observe they gender- typed behavior is to monitor with whom and what
they play with. The first 24 months they engage in these kind of behaviors and at the second
year of age they refuse to play with cross-sex toys, even when they are the only available
objects.
2-3 years: Girls select from 2 years to play only with girls. Boys at the age of 3 select
same sex playmates. That becomes progressively stronger.
Gender segregation: It is the tendency to choose same sex playmates and to
think of other sex members as outgroups
5-6 ½ years: They increasingly select same sex companions.
Grade-School/Preadolescent children: They find cross gender contacts less pleasing
and they behave more negatively toward the opposite sex. Mostly 10-11 year olds.
