Sorting Task

1. Psych 125Human DevelopmentChristopher GadeOffice: 1031-GOffice hours: Tu 12-1:30 and by apt.Email: gadecj@gmail.comClass: T 1:30-4:20 Room 2210

2. Sorting Task • In a group of 2 to 3, categorize the terms below as being more likely linked to males or females • Sweet • Trucks • Cosmetologist • Golf • Caring • Rough • Emotional • Suit • Strong • Babysitter • Electrician • Wrestling • Dolls • Firefighter • Designer

3. What This Relates To & Today’s Topic • Gender – the characterization of people as females or males • Gender identity – an internal sense of one’s gender • Gender role – cognitive, behavioral, and emotional expectations placed on members of a gender • Gender typing – a set of roles or concepts applied to a specific gender • When studying gender and development, psychologists are interested in when these gender related concepts develop • Note: psychologists often don’t examine if these gender concepts are appropriate or necessary, instead they focus on how, when, and why they develop

4. Looking at The Development of Gender Recognition • By the age of 2, and possibly even before, children display recognition of their gender identity and the ability to differentiate between gender roes and typing... But how?

5. Biological Influences of Gender • Hormones – chemicals released by the body in order to influence physiology and behavior • Estrogens – produced in greater concentration by females • Menstrual cycles and female sex characteristics • Androgens – produced in greater concentrations by males • Produced in the testes • Masculine secondary sex characteristics and male genitalia • Numerous studies have linked the presence of hormones to gender-linked identities, roles, and typing • Hyde’s testosterone and aggressive behavior findings • Links between hormone increases and gender-specific behaviors during puberty • Rare birth defect cases • Androgen-insensitive males • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)

6. Social Influences on Gender • Parental treatment differences • Cultural normative differences • Same-sex socialization • Schema development findings • Schemas – cognitive concepts that organize and direct thought and behavior

7. Where We See Differences • Current studies have shown differences in: • Visuospatial & science skills • Verbal skills • Emotional skills (empathy) • Aggressive tendencies • Helping focus • Mate selection and jealousy • HOWEVER, most of these differences are very small, and often, most of them can/could be explained through social learning • Scholastic ability over time example

8. Please list, in order of importance, the qualities that you look for in someone that you would want to date • Intelligence • Attractiveness • Creativity • Humor • Friendliness • Spontaneity • Care Giving • Honesty • Wealth • Orderliness • Adventurousness • Style

9. The Choice for Men • Person A is extraordinarily good looking. They work at a small restaurant and have no ambition to do anything more. • Person B is average looking. They patented an invention and sold it for a fortune. They were recently accepted to a prestigious medical school, and is said to have an outstanding career ahead as a medical researcher.

11. The Choice for Women • Person A is extraordinarily good looking. They work at a small restaurant and have no ambition to do anything more. • Person B is average looking. They patented an invention and sold it for a fortune. They were recently accepted to a prestigious medical school, and is said to have an outstanding career ahead as a medical researcher.

12. Who did you choose? A or B

13. Gender Development Across the Lifespan • Childhood • Gender separation begins at a young age • Males tend to be punished more for gender deviant behavior (at least in our culture) • Adolescence • Gender intensification hypothesis – gender roles and gender-specific behaviors become a greater source of focus during puberty • Adulthood • Research indicates a shift toward more female-related behaviors and activity in males during late adulthood • Females often do not shift their levels in these studies

14. A Key Component of Gender: Sex • Even though we often link gender to sex, gender role differences tend to be much more prominent than sexual differences • Sexual activity differences • Sexual frequency • Masturbation • Homosexual activities differences (Michael, 1994) (within the past year) • 2.7% of males • 1.3% of females • Note: culture seems to play a much more prominent role in sexual activity and focus than gender • Sexual scripts

15. Freud’s Psychosexual Stages Stage Focus Fixation Oral Pleasure centers on the mouth-- smoking, (0-18 months) sucking, biting, chewing overeating Anal Pleasure focuses on bowel and bladder stinginess (18-36 months) elimination; coping with demands for control strict orderliness Phallic Pleasure zone is the genitals; coping with penis envy (3-6 years) incestuous sexual feelings castration fear Latency Dormant sexual feelings (6 to puberty) Genital Maturation of sexual interests (puberty on) How Do We Develop Sexually?: Freud’s View • Sigmund Freud was of the first psychologists to attempt to examine and explain sexual development • Libido (psychosexual energy) was the impetus behind our sexual activity and desires • This libido existed throughout life, in different forms throughout development

16. A More Scientific and Current Set of Findings • Childhood • Sex play and exploration of sex related differences appear to be a focus in most children • Adolescence • An increase in sexual focuses thoughts often occurs • Sexual exploration/experimentation also are common • Sexual activity levels are highly related to social and cultural norms • Homosexual behavior and interests sometimes emerge at this time, but some individuals display heterosexual interests at this age and develop homosexual interests later (and vice versa) • Males tend to be more focused on sex at this age, and they tend to derive more pleasure from sexual encounters

17. A Note on Sexual Activity in the US • Despite there being dramatic differences in sexual activity effects/causes across cultures, in the US, individuals who engage in early sexual activity are often linked to a number of other factors • Lower SES • Less parental/peer support • Lower academic performance • Higher rates of drug use and destructive behaviors

18. Sex in Adulthood • In early adulthood, sexual activity does increase, but not as much as we often perceive • Sexual partners • Sexual frequency • Note: this is true for most, but not all people • In middle adulthood • Females – menopause • Males – decreased sexual drive and functionality • In late adulthood • Sexual activity declines for everyone • Recent contradictory findings with STD’s and the elderly

20. A Reexamination of Sex and Gender Through A Different Lens • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWGRi99cVHo • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHp3sHkE1bc • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoYo9Syc8g4 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaPsiGutGPQ • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEjgUt9u39U • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xq8fFtAzR8 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmKAnpF0zS4 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1o_hXcHWAI • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LC5UTozpa4 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb_sPmd6DnE