Sexual Development Flashcards
(126 cards)
Basic Tenet
Variations in gender identity and expression are normal aspects of human diversity and do not constitute a mental disorder. Binary definitions of gender may not reflect emerging gender identities.
Biological Sex
a person’s biologically assigned identity (defined by chromosomes, genitals, secondary sexual characteristics as determined by hormonal influences
Gender
a person’s social and cultural identity as male, female, or other (based on culturally determined social meanings and characteristics)
Gender identity
one’s awareness of one’s gender
Gender role stereotype (expression)
behaviors, values, or motives that a society considers more typical for members of a particular sex (culturally determined and varies from one to another culture)
Gender typing
the process by which a child becomes aware of his or her gender and acquires gender role stereotypes
Gender Typing
Gender typing is the confluence of three aspects of gender:
how we identify, how we express ourselves and how our culture/society expects us to express ourselves around gender
Gender Identity
Age 0-3
Gender discrimination and self labeling
Gender discrimination
4 month old infants can discriminate male and female voices, 1 year old infants can discriminate male and female faces
Self Labeling
generally established by age 3 but not future oriented; may fear that cross gendered behavior, activity or toys will change their gender (Szkrybalo and Ruble 1999) or may believe they can grow up to be like the parent of the opposite sex (boys believe they can have babies, etc).
Gender Identity
Age 3-7
gender consistency/conservation
Gender Consistency/conservation:
Understand that gender is fixed and is not changed by activity or behavior preferences, nor by time (gender becomes future oriented); established by age 7
Gender Identity
Age 7-11
awareness of gender typicality or variance & connectedness
Gender Identity
12-adult
Increased saliency
Gender Stereotyping
Age 0-3
early emergence
Gender Stereotyping
Age 3-7
interests, activities & occupations(rigid)
Gender Stereotyping
Age 7-11
personality traits & achievement domains(less rigid)
Gender Stereotyping
12-adult
gender intensification
Gender Intensification
magnification of sex differences that is associated with increased pressure to conform to gender roles
- this is influenced by parents, friendships, romantic pursuits and social pressures
- its intensity lessens by late adolescence but even adults remain very intolerant of males that disregard gender-role prescriptions.
Gender Expression
Age 0-3
toy/activity preferences gender segregation
Gender Expression
Age 3-7
toy/activity preferences & gender segregation ↑
Gender Expression
Age 7-11
toy/activity preference ↑ (boys > girls) segregation persists
Gender Expression
12-adult
conformity ↑gender segregation ↓
Gender Segregation
by age 2 for girls and age 3 for boys, intensifies through latency and by age 5 will actively reject opposite sex playmates; by age 10 those that maintain clear boundaries with same gender play partners are seen as more popular and social competent and those with who play with opposite sex children will likely be rejected and be less popular; segregation thought to stem from incompatible styles of play, boys preference for play group and girls for dyads, concrete thinking and emphasis on negative attributes of the other sex