Atypical Gender Development

Question 1

Gender dysphoria

Answer 1

Condition where individuals experience a mismatch between their biological sex and gender they feel they are

Question 2

Ratio of MtF:FtM in UK 2012

Answer 2

5:1

Question 3

Aproximately how many in UK

Answer 3

1 in 4000

Question 4

When do indications occur

Answer 4

Fairly early e.g. children unhappy wearing clothing associated with biological sex

Question 5

DSM-V diagnostic criteria for GD

Answer 5

• affects ability to function in everyday life
• discomfort in biological sex
• ongoing identification with opposite sex
• no biological disorder at the same time
• Symprtomes present for more than 6 months
• must be able to verbalise their thoughts

Question 6

Biological explanation

Answer 6

Physical cause for the disorder
- brain sex theory
- genetic explanations
- phantom limb

Question 7

Social psychological explanation

Answer 7

Assume a wider psychological cause that focuses on the individuals experiences in their environment
- Psychoanalytical - mother/son relationship
- Cognitive - dual pathway theory

Question 8

Brain sex theory

Answer 8

• brain of someone with GD is not the same as the typcial brain of the gender they were assigned at birth
• look at areas of dimorphic difference e.g. bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BSTc): found in the thalamus and fully develops at the after of 5: in men it is 40% bigger than women

Question 9

Brain sex theory evidence

Answer 9

Zhou
- post mortem on 6 MtF
- BSTc similiar size to cisgender F brain
- F brain in M born body
- therefore gender identity is determines before birth

Question 10

Brain sex theory AO3 -

Answer 10

BSTc fully forms at the age of 5 so hormone treatment should not effect it however HULSHOFF POL ET AL showed hormone therapy influences the size of the BSTc
- therefore observed differences in the size may be due to hormone therapy rather than the cause

Question 11

Phantom Limb

Answer 11

GD form of phantom limb syndrome but for genitals
2/3 FtM report phantom penis sensation from childhood

Question 12

Phantom Limb Evidence

Answer 12

60% men without GD who have had penis amputation have experienced phantom penis however only 30% of MtF do.
10% FtM experience phantom breast sensations
- therefore somatosensory wiring is atypical in these people before their surgery

Question 13

Genetic explanation

Answer 13

Some evidence suggests longer version of the androgen receptor gene in MtF may reduce the action of prenatal testosterone which results in an under masculine brain in foetus

Question 14

Genetic Evidence - Coolidge

Answer 14

96MZ and 61DZ twin pairs assessed for GD
- 2.3% of 157 pairs with GD
- 62% of GD cases explained genetically

Question 15

Genetic Evidence - Heylins

Answer 15

23MZ and 21DZ twin pairs where one has GD
- 9MZ twins with GD
- 0DZ twims with GD
- -> strong heritable component

Question 16

Genetic explanation AO3 -

Answer 16

Twin studies
- difficult to seperate nature and nurture as grow up in same environment
- more identification in MZ than DZ
- small sample size limiting extent to which effective generalisations can be made
- twins are already atypical

Question 17

Biological explanation AO3 - reductionist

Answer 17

reduce complex condition and behaviour to the presence or absence of chemicals
- could ignore more relevant social or psychological factors

Question 18

Biological explanation AO3 - interactionalist approach

Answer 18

May be more relevant as GD is complex and unlikely to have one single influence

Question 19

Cognitive explanation - dual pathway theory

Answer 19

Pathway A = gender schema
Pathway B = child chooses non gender stereotype behaviour so created a gender schema with inconsistent behaviours leading to androgynous behaviour for some GD

Question 20

Cognitive explanation AO3 -

Answer 20

• cannot test
• descriptive not explanatory = doesn’t explain why they perform behaviour in the first place and why it leads to androgyny for some and GD for others

Question 21

Psychoanalytical - mother/son relationship

Answer 21

Men with extreme seperation anxiety from mother before gender identity is established fantasise a symbolic mother to relieve anxiety and adopts the female gender identity

Question 22

Mother/son relationship evidence - Stoller

Answer 22

Interview MtF and found overly close relationship with mothers leads to high female identification and confused gender identity in long term

Question 23

Mother/son relationship evidence - Zucker

Answer 23

115 MtF
- 64% with seperation anxiety disorder

Question 24

Mother/son relationship AO3 -

Answer 24

• unflasifiable
• androcentric bias

Question 25

General AO3 -

Answer 25

• socially sensitive research
• concept of MtF and FtM is oversimplified: can’t assume everyone does it for the dame reasons as some are autogynophilic (attracted to same sex so desire to be opposite sex)