Psychodynamic explanations for gender development

Question 1

Pre-phallic children

Answer 1

• Five psychosexual stages
• 3rd one is phallic stage (3-6)
• Pre-phallic children do not distinguish between males and females
• No gender identity

Question 2

Oedipus complex

Answer 2

• Boys
• Phallic stage
• Desire for the mother
• Jealous hatred of father
• Castration anxiety

Question 3

Oedipus complex in gender development

Answer 3

• Resolved through identification with father
• Take on Male gender identity

Question 4

Electra complex

Answer 4

• Girls
• Phallic stage
• Desire for father
• Jealous hatred of mother
• Penis envy

Question 5

Electra complex in gender development

Answer 5

• Resolved through identification with mother
• Take on Female gender identity

Question 6

Identification

Answer 6

Identification leads to internalisation of same-sex parent’s identity
Happens all at once

Question 7

Little Hans

Answer 7

• Freud’s evidence for the Oedipus complex
• Hans feared horses and feared his father would castrate him- displaced to horses
• Case study

Question 8

Psychodynamic explanations for gender development evaluation points- The Oedipus complex

Answer 8

STRENGTH

75% of ‘gender disturbed’ boys did not have a biological/substitute father
(Rekers and Morey)

Question 9

Psychodynamic explanations for gender development evaluation points- The Oedipus complex counterpoint

Answer 9

LIMITATION

Research on children from lesbian families, no difference in gender identity
(Bos and Sandfort)

Question 10

Psychodynamic explanations for gender development evaluation points- Female development

Answer 10

LIMITATION

Freud’s account reflected male power in Victorian times (androcentric bias), males may have ‘womb envy’ (Horney)

Question 11

Psychodynamic explanations for gender development evaluation points- Pseudoscientific

Answer 11

LIMITATION

Methods (e.g. case studies) lack rigour, concepts (e.g. penis envy) untestable, so cannot be falsified