Gender - The Role of Genes and Hormones in Gender Flashcards Preview

AQA Psychology Unit 3 > Gender - The Role of Genes and Hormones in Gender > Flashcards

Flashcards in Gender - The Role of Genes and Hormones in Gender Deck (36)
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1
Q

What is the biological gender of a baby determined by?

A

It’s 23rd chromosome

2
Q

How many pairs of chromosomes does a human being have?

A

23

3
Q

What two parts give them 23rd pair of chromosomes?

A

Ovum and Sperm

4
Q

What type of chromosome does the ovum give?

A

X

5
Q

What type of chromosome does the sperm give?

A

X or Y

6
Q

What pairing of chromosomes gives a girl?

A

XX

7
Q

What pairing of chromosomes gives a boy?

A

XY

8
Q

What happens six weeks after conception?

A

Genes prompt gonads to become testes or ovaries

9
Q

What do the testes release?

A

Testosterone

10
Q

What does testosterone do in foetuses?

A

Stimulate the development of male internal organs

11
Q

What happens if foetuses don’t have the influence of testosterone?

A

The foetus develops female characteristics

12
Q

What is an evaluation for the role of genes?

A

David Reimer

13
Q

Briefly describe David Reimer

A

Identical twin, suffered damage to pens, raised as a girl, happier with boys toys, didn’t fit in, found out his biology, re-assigned his gender, married a woman, became depressed after they divorced, committed suicide.

14
Q

What does David Reimer tell us about there influences of genes on gender?

A

Genes are best predictor of a person’s gender identity. David was biological a boy, raised as a female, but wanted to be a male.

15
Q

Why aren’t the findings and conclusions of the David Reimer study reliable?

A

Dr Money was very involved in the study, may have influenced the results - researcher bias.
ALSO
Case study, only happened to one person, cannot replicate the results

16
Q

What two hormones can influence gender?

A

Testosterone and oestrogen

17
Q

What does testosterone do to the brain?

A

Leads to increased development in the right hemisphere

18
Q

What is the right hemisphere of the brain associated with?

A

Visual-spatial processing

19
Q

What doesn’t develop as quickly in XY foetuses?

A

Left hemisphere of brain, especially near Wernicke’s area

20
Q

What is the left hemisphere of the brain associated with?

A

Understanding language

21
Q

What does brain development tell us about males and females?

A

Biological females brains give them better language skills. Biological males brains give them better spatial skills.

22
Q

What two studies and one focus area are associated with the Research relating to the effect of testosterone on gendered behaviour?

A

Young et al (1964)
Money and Ehrhardt
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

23
Q

What happened in Young et al (1964)?

A

Increased the am out of male hormones female monkeys were exposed to in the uterus, found they spent more time in rough and tumble play compared to control group.

24
Q

Evaluate the study of Young et al (1964).

A

‘Rough and tumble play’ is a subjective measurement

Animal research is controversial, rights by virtue of their ‘inherent value’

25
Q

What happened in Money and Ehrhardt?

A

Studied daughters who’s mothers had taken male hormones while pregnant, found them to be more ‘tomboyish’ than control group.

26
Q

What is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia?

A

Genetic disorder leads to unusually high peels of testosterone being produced by the adrenal gland. In girls often leads to partially masculinised genitalia.

27
Q

What do studies of girls with CAH find?

A

They usually play in a more boyish way, often have very good spatial skills.

28
Q

What do the results of studies of girls with CAH suggest?

A

Suggest its the high levels of pre-natal androgens that have influences there behaviour to be masculine rather than socialisation.

29
Q

What two studies are associated with woman at different stages in their menstrual cycle?

A

Maki et al (2002)

Hampton (1990)

30
Q

What happened in Maki et al (2002)?

A

Found verbal fluency was better in woman during high oestrogen phase of their menstrual cycle.

31
Q

What happened in Hampton (1990)?

A

Tested same women as Maki et al (2002), found performance on visual-spatial tasks best at lowest oestrogen levels.

32
Q

What study is associated with transsexuals before and after hormone treatment?

A

Van Goozen et al (1995)

33
Q

What happened in Van Goozen et al (1995)?

A

Tested transsexual men before hormone treatment and after 12 weeks of treatment. Found scores on verbal fluency had improved, visual-spatial skills had deteriorated.

34
Q

What two IDAs are relevant to genes and hormones?

A

Socially Sensitive

Freewill v Determinism

35
Q

Briefly describe how this approach is Socially sensitive.

A

Has the potential to cause social problems such as limiting the opportunities for men and women or excusing unacceptable behaviour.

36
Q

Briefly deceive how this approach is either free will or determinism.

A

Research is deterministic, Rules out the possibility of free will and says that behaviour is caused by outside forces. Stating that behaviour is caused purely by genes or hormones is biological determinism.