A2 Level Psychology PSYA3 Gender

PSYA3 Gender Specification

What is the difference between sex and gender? Sex = Biological differences between Males or females Identify/draw on the work sheet the biological differences that determine a persons sex Gender = masculine or feminine behaviours Identify the characteristics/behaviours of males and females expected by our society (gender role) We are born male or female but we can become feminine or masculine

Nature and nurture Debate Whether behavioural traits are caused by innate or environmental factors. E.g. intelligence: if Jane is more intelligent than John, is that because she was born that way or because her environment & experiences made her that way? Apply the nature-nurture debate to gender development? What would the different positions be?

Nature and nurture Nature Nurture Sex differences result from innate differences between female and male (genes, chromosomes, hormones). Gender differences result from the different experiences that females and males have as they develop (learning from family, peers, society)

Activity -An experiment in child rearing Imagine a baby could survive on an island by himself/herself If the baby grows into a healthy male or female, would they show typical gender role behaviours (masculine/feminine). Think about strategies they would use for obtaining food? Lets assume that the individual was taken from the island and brought back to civilisation. How would you differentiate between the contribution of nature/nurture on their gender behaviour?

The Cognitive theory on Gender Development Kohlberg’s Gender consistency Theory How do we acquire our understanding of gender? How do children understand what it is to be a boy or a girl? gender

What determines children's understanding of gender??????? Kohlberg was a cognitive psychologist What determines children's understanding of gender??????? A child's understanding of gender is determined by their cognitive capabilities

For example……. Young children cannot understand that certain things will remain the same despite change of appearance (can not conserve) . Piaget proposed that children's inability to conserve is due to weakness in the way children think (don’t have the cognitive capability)

Once a child learns to conserve (7 years), they can move forward with their understanding of gender So Kohlberg argued that changes in gender thinking come about because of the natural stages of a child’s cognitive development.

Gender consistency Theory Kohlberg’s Gender consistency Theory There are a series of developmental stages that a child goes through before their understanding of gender is fully developed.

Kohlberg’s stages of understanding gender 1) Gender Labelling / Identity 2 - 3 years Label gender but only based on appearance. 2) Gender Stability 4 - 5 years Gender is consistent over time but not across situations. Appearance is still a factor 3) Gender Constancy/Consistency 6-7 + years Gender is constant across time and situations. gender

The ken experiment! Used to test what stage of gender development a child is at.

Children are presented with a male Ken doll. Phase 1: Gender identity Children are presented with a male Ken doll. They are asked: ‘Is this a boy doll or a girl doll?’

‘Will ken be a mummy or daddy when he is older?’ Phase 2: Gender stability They are asked: ‘Will ken be a mummy or daddy when he is older?’

Ken now has long hair and a skirt. Phase 3: Gender consistency Ken now has long hair and a skirt. They are asked: ‘Is this a boy doll or a girl doll?’

Task: The Ken Experiment With the person next to you, discuss how a child at each of the following ages would answer the 3 questions e.g ‘Is this a boy doll or a girl doll?’ for each phase of the experiment. 2 years old 4 years old 8 years old Phase A Phase B Phase C

This is how the children responded…. The Ken Experiment This is how the children responded…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZb2len6f18

Task: Kohlberg Storyboards Imagine you are following one child throughout their gender development. Create a story board of what the child is thinking about their own gender at each stage of Kohlberg’s Gender Constancy Theory.