Psych Chapter 5: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define males and females

sex

the socially influenced characteristics by which people define men and women

gender

the product of the interplay among our biological dispositions, our developmental experiences, and our current situations

gender

some traits may be genetic differences; but other role differences may be nurtured by __________.

culture

how many chromosomes does each person receive from mother and father

23 from each

of the 46 chromosomes that we get, how many of these chromosomes do men and women share?

45

what are some similarities with our chromosomes?

creativity, intelligence, emotions.
Our "opposite" sex is, in reality, our very similar sex

what are some differences with our chromosomes?

self-esteem, puberty age, emotional expression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally

aggression

an act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person's relationship or social standing

relational aggression

________ physical aggression in romantic relationships: men and women are roughly _________

minor, equal

do men or women far more often commit extreme violent acts?

men

what do women commit slightly more often than men?

relational aggresion

What are boys are men more often? and what are girls and women more often?

boys-independent
girls-interdependent

1. what sex tends to connect perception with action
2. what sex tends to improve social relationships

1. men
2. women

1. What sex prefers working with people
2. what sex prefers working with things

1. women
2. men

1. what sex often opts for fewer work hours and tend to have greater responsibility for family obligations
2. what sex is more often driven by money and status

1. women
2. men

biology does not dictate gender, but it can influence it in what two ways?

genetically and physiologically

males and females have different concentrations of sex hormones, which trigger other anatomic differences

physiologically

males and females have differing sex chromosones

genetically

during __________, boys and girls enter puberty and mature sexually

adolescence

a period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable fo reproducing

puberty

what emerges during adolescent sexual development?

pronounces physical differences

What during adolescence triggers a two-year period of rapid physical development

surge of hormones

what also develops dramatically in adolescent sexual development?

primary and secondary sex characteristics

body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

primary sex characteristics

nonreproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

secondary sex characteristics

first ejaculation

spermarche

first menstrual period

menarche

a condition present at birth that involves unusual development of sex chromosomes and anatomy

disorder of sexual development

sex reassignment surgery: more common in the _____; can create ________

past, distress

result in behavior and cognitive differences between males and females. Yet environmental factors matter as well

sex-related genes and physiology

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position

role

a set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for males or for females

gender role

our personal sense of being male, female, or some combination of the two.

gender identity

gender roles ______ over time

shift

a century ago, american women could not _____ in national elections, serve in the _____, or divorce a husband without cause.

vote
military

gender roles _____ from one place to another

vary

_______ societies of food-gathering people have little division of labor by sex

nomadic

_________ societies, in which women typically work in the nearby fields and men roam while herding livestock, assume more distinct gender roles

agricultural

proposes social behavior is learned by observing and imitating others' gender-linked behavior and by being rewarded or punished

social learning theory

how do we learn our gender identity-our personal sense of being male, female, or occasionally, some combinations of the two?

social learning theory

learning to be male or female involves ________ and ________

feeling and thinking

what helps children make sense of their world?

formation of schemas

gender schemas form early in life and _______ experiences of male-female characteristics

organize

what can be seen as children drop hints in their language, clothing, interests, and possessions?

gender expression

what impairs sexual arousal or functioning and often involves sexual motivation, especially sexual motivation and arousal

sexual dysfunctions

what sexual dysfunctions do some males experience?

includes erectile disorder and premature ejaculation

what sexual dysfunctions do some females experience?

include female orgasmic disorder and female sexual interest/arousal disorder

what do sexual dysfunctions sometime involve?

paraphilias

sexual desire directed in unusual ways (e.g., pedophilia, exhibitionism)

paraphilias

distress due to infrequently or never experiencing orgasm

female orgasmic disorder

sexual arousal from fantasies, behaviors, or urges involving nonhuman objects, the suffering of self or others, and/or nonconsenting persons

paraphilias

American Psychological Association classifies people as disordered only if they experience sexual desire in unusual ways and:

the person experiences distress form unusual sexual interest or the desire entails harm or risk of harm to others

list 3 paraphilias

necrophilia, exhibitionism, and pedophilia

what are the biological influences of sexual motivation?

sexual maturity
sex hormones, especially testosterone

what are the psychological influences of sexual motivation

exposure to stimulating conditions, sexual fantasies

what are the social-cultural influences of sexual motivation?

family and society values, religious and personal values, cultural expectations, and media

compared with our motivation for eating, our sexual motivation is ______ influenced by biological factors. Psychological and social-cultural factors play a _______ role.

less
bigger

research indicates exposure to sexually explicit material has adverse effects in 3 ways:

believing rape is acceptable, reducing satisfaction with a partner's appearance or with a relationship, and desensitization

sexual desire and arousal can be ________; the _____ has been called the most significant sex organ

imagined
brain

people with what type of injury have reported feeling sexual desire

spinal cord injury

what % of people report having sexual fantasies

95%

_______ fantasies tend to be more frequent, more physical, and less romantic than _______ fantasies

male
female

norms of unprotected promiscuity; ______ _______ help write the social scripts that affect our perceptions and actions

mass media

what are 4 environmental factors that influence a higher teen pregnancy rate?

communication about birth control, impulsivity, alcohol use, and mass media

what are the 4 factors that predict sexual restraint?

high intelligence, religious engagement, father presence, participation in service learning programs

cross-culturally, what sex thinks more about sex, and what sex is more likely to think that casual sex is acceptable

men and men

compared with lesbians, gay men (like straight men) report more interest in ________ sex, more _______ to visual sexual stimuli, and more ________ with their partner's physical attractiveness

uncommitted, responsiveness, concern

_____ ______ couples report having sex more often than do lesbian couples

gay men

men who have the trait of _______ are more likely to have their genes continue, and even spread, in the next generation. There is little cost to spreading their genes.

promiscuity

for men, a trait of promiscuity does not greatly ________ the number of babies, and would have greater _______ costs. Historically, pregnancy was often life-threatening.

increase, survival

men prefer women with signs of future _______ (narrow waist and fuller figure; age of peak ______.)

fertility

women prefer men with _______ behavior and physical/social _______ and resources

loyal
power

why might natural selection have resulted in these mating preferences? (3 things)

male choices optimized the chance of producing offspring, female choices optimized offspring survival, men chose widely; women chose wisely

most psychologists agree that what prepares humans for survival and reproduction?

natural selection

critics of evolutionary psychology research note these limitations:
1. evolutionary psychology starts with an effect and works ______ to explain what happened
2. more immediate explanations are better understood through __________________________ (including social scripts) than through decisions made by our distant ancestors.
3. social __________ of evolutionary explanation are problematic.
4. some traits and behavior are difficult to explain by ________________.

1. backward
2. social learning theory
3. consequences
4. natural selection