DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER DIFFERENCES

Basic Terminology

Gender – Refers to our biological sex, whether male or female.

DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER DIFFERENCES

Basic Terminology

Gender – Refers to our biological sex, whether male or female.

DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER DIFFERENCES

Basic Terminology

Gender – Refers to our biological sex, whether male or female.

Gender Roles –

DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER DIFFERENCES

Basic Terminology

Gender-Role Standard –

DEVELOPMENT OF GENDER DIFFERENCES

Gender Stereotypes

Men are more Women are more

Aggressive Emotional

Independent Dependent

Self-confident Aware of others’ feelings

Dominant Interested own appear.

Interested Math Interested Art/Lit.

Active Tactful

Competitive Able to express emotion

Logical Talkative

Adventurous Interested in family

Actual Gender Differences (and similarities)

Actual Gender Differences (and similarities)

Actual Gender Differences

Males > Females Visual/spatial abilities Arithmetic reasoning Physical/verbal aggression Activity level Developmental vulnerability Risk taking

Females > Males Verbal abilities School Achievement Fear and timidity Emotional sensitivity/expressivity Compliance with adults Depression

Actual Gender Similarities

Males = Females

Compliance with demands and directives of agemates

Empathy Social interaction with peers Suggestibility Self-esteem Rote learning Higher level cognitive processing Analytic/logical reasoning Achievement motivation

A SELECTION OF RESEARCH ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

OF MALES AND FEMALES

-Goldberg (1968)

-Dweck & Elliott (1983)

-Feldman-Summers & Kiesler (1974)

DEVELOPMENTAL TRENDS IN GENDER TYPING

•Knowledge that one is a boy or a girl.

•Knowledge that one’s gender is permanent.

•Development of gender-role stereotypes.

•Development of gender-typed behaviors.

HOW DOES GENDER TYPING OCCUR?

Money and Ehrhardt’s Biosocial theory

• Biological factors

• Social factors

HOW DOES GENDER TYPING OCCUR?

Money and Ehrhardt’s Biosocial theory

• Biological factors

• Social factors

• Androgenized females and Testicular feminization syndrome

HOW DOES GENDER TYPING OCCUR?

Money and Ehrhardt’s Biosocial theory

• Androgenized females and Testicular feminization syndrome

HOW DOES GENDER TYPING OCCUR?

Social-Learning theory

• Direct Tuition

• Observational Learning

HOW DOES GENDER TYPING OCCUR?

Kohlberg’s Cognitive-Developmental theory

• Cognitive development

• Children’s active self-socialization

HOW DOES GENDER TYPING OCCUR?

Gender Schema theory

• In-group/out-group schema

• Own-sex schema

HOW DOES GENDER TYPING OCCUR?

Money and Ehrhardt’s Biosocial theory

Social-Learning theory

Kohlberg’s Cognitive-Developmental theory

Gender Schema theory

Integrative Perspective

• Physical gender

• Reinforcement

• Schemas

• Recalls gender- consistent info more readily

• Rely more on same-sex models

HOW DOES GENDER TYPING OCCUR?

ANDROGYNY

Androgyny - a gender-role orientation in which the individual has incorporated a large number of both masculine and feminine attributes into his or her personality. (Overhead of attributes)

Femininity

HIGH LOW

HIGH Androgynous Masculine sex-typed

LOW Feminine gender-typed

Undiffer-entiated

Masculinity

ADVANTAGES TO ANDROGYNY?

• Flexibility

• Self-esteem

Could these results be due to masculine attributes of androgynous individuals and not to androgyny?

ADVANTAGES TO ANDROGYNY?

ADVANTAGES TO ANDROGYNY?

Avoiding rigid stereotypes for boys or girls