PSYC 4080 E1

EB textbook vocabulary

Sex Differences in Physical Attributes

A. General Physical Characteristics

B. Physical strength

C. Physical Health

gender roles

cultural beliefs applied to individuals on the basis of their socially assigned sex

gender

the meanings that societies and individuals give to female and male categories

sex

the classification of individuals as female or male based on their genetic makeup, anatomy, and reproductive functions

beta bias

men and women are basically alike in their intellectual and social behaviors. Any differences that do occur are small and inconsistent, and produced by socialization, not biology

alpha bias

emphasizes the differences between women and men

essentialism

essential qualities within the individual that are rooted in biology

liberal feminism

the belief that women and men should have the same political, legal, economic, and educational rights and opportunities

cultural feminism

the belief that women and men are different and that women’s special qualities, such as nurturance, concern about others, and cooperativeness

socialist feminism

the attitude that gender inequality is rooted in economic inequalities rooted in economic inequality

radical feminism

the belief that gender inequality is based on male oppression of women

patriarchy

male control over and dominance of women

women of color feminism

the belief that both racism and classism must be recognized as being as important as sexism

racism

bias against people because of their ethnicity

classism

bias based on social class

sexism

gender-based biased

mujerista psychology

advocates for the rights of Latina women

standpoint theory

women and other groups see the world from their own subjective perspective, and that knowledge is not objective

social constructionism

social and cultural contexts influence what we know about the world

sample

the individuals who are investigated in order to reach conclusions about the entire group of interest to the researcher

population

the entire group of interest to the researcher

male as normative

males are considered the standard against which all behavior is measured

statistical significance

findings are not due to chance alone

meta-analysis

a statistical method of integrating the results of several studies on the same topic

effect size

indicates not only whether females or males score higher but also how large the difference is

intersectionality

people exist in a framework of multiple identities that interact with each other to determine an individual’s experiences and that cannot be understood separately from each other because they are integral parts of a whole

race

biological concept that refers to physical characteristics of people

ethnicity

variations in cultural background, nationality, history, religion, and/or language

organizational power

the ability to use valuable resources to dominate and control others

interpersonal power

the ability to influence one’s partner within a specific relationship

power-over

a person’s or group’s control of another person or group

power-to

the empowerment of self and others to accomplish tasks

privilege

benefits, advantages, and power that accrue to members of a dominant group by virtue of their status in society

hegemonic masculinity

male dominance that characterizes virtually all societies

social construct of gender

the traits, behaviors, and roles that people associate with females and males are not inherent in one’s sex; they are shaped by numerous interpersonal, cultural, and societal forces

relational aggression

harming others through nonphysical hurtful manipulation of their peer relationships

prosocial behavior

voluntary behavior intended to benefit someone else

empathy

feeling the same emotion that someone else is feeling

narcissism

a need for admiration and a relative lack of empathy

Big Five personality traits

OCEAN: enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

affiliative interruption

to show interest and affirm what the other is saying

intrusive interruption

to usurp the floor and control the conversation

mental rotation

the ability to rapidly manipulate two- or three-dimensional figures

spatial perception

ability to locate the vertical or the horizontal while ignoring distracting information

spatial visualization

finding simple shapes hidden within larger complex shapes

lateralization

specialization of the cerebral hemispheres of the brain to perform different cognitive functions

mathematics self-efficacy

one’s beliefs concerning one’s ability to successfully perform mathematical tasks

stereotype threat

members of stereotyped groups (eg. females and ethnic minorities) sometimes perform more poorly because they are anxious about whether their performance will confirm a negative stereotype held about the group’s ability

rough-and-tumble play

playful chasing, tumbling, hitting, and wrestling, often accompanied by laughter and screaming

socialization

the process by which each generation passes along to children the knowledge, beliefs, and skills that constitute the culture of the social group

puberty

period of life during which sexual organs mature and the ability to reproduce emerges

primary sex characteristics

structures that make reproduction possible

secondary sex characteristics

visible signs of sexual maturity that are not directly involved in reproduction

menarche

the first menstrual period

secular trend

over the past 150 years, the onset of puberty and the attainment of adult height and weight have occurred at progressively earlier ages in the US and western Europe

adolescent growth spurt

a rapid increase in height and weight

identity

deciding who we are and what we want to make of our lives

individuate

see themselves as separate and unique

self-esteem

the sense of worth or value that people attach to themselves

gender intensification

increasing divergence in gender-related behaviors and attitudes of girls and boys that emerges in early adolescence

gender identity

one’s self-definition as a female or male

cisgender

gender identity in accordance with their external reproductive organs

transgender

gender identity inconsistent with their reproductive organs

gender attitudes

beliefs about the appropriate traits, interests, behaviors, and roles of females and males

sexual orientation

preference for a same- or other-gender sexual partner

prenatal sex differentiation

the biological processes that influence the making of one’s physical sex

androgens

male sex hormones

estrogens

female sex hormones

Müllerian ducts

foundation for the female reproductive structures (becomes the uterus, Fallopian tubes, and upper vagina)

Wolffian ducts

basis for male internal reproductive structures (vas deferent, seminal vesicles, and prostate)

testosterone

an androgen (produced by the testes)

Müllerian-inhibiting substance

necessary for the degeneration of the M¨üllerian ducts

intersexuality

the intermingling of female and male sexual characteristics

Turner syndrome

condition in which the individual has a single X chromosome rather than a pair of sex chromosomes

congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)

an inherited disorder in which the adrenal glands of genetic female malfunction and produce abnormally high levels of androgens

androgen-insensitivity syndrome

an inherited disorder in which the body of a genetic male cannot utilize androgen

5 alpha-reductase deficiency

an inherited condition in a genetic male that prevents the prenatal differentiation of external genital tissue into a penis

gender typing

acquisition of the traits, behaviors, and roles that are generally associated with one’s gender

psychoanalytic theory

gender typing stems from children’s awareness of anatomical differences between females and males combined with their strong inborn sexual urges

Oedipus complex

the boy’s sexual attraction for his mother

castration anxiety

the boy’s fear of castration by his father

identification

boy forms a close emotional bond with his father after gibing up his Oedipal feelings for his mother

penis envy

a desire to possess the male genitals

ovulation

ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle

dysmenorrhea

menstral pain

prostaglandins

hormonelike chemicals secreted by the uterine lining and other tissues as menstruation approaches

women-as-problem bias

psychologists’ preference for studying negative aspects of women’s lives rather than positive ones

premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

symptoms so severe that their normal functioning is impaired for a week each month preceding menstruation

premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

a woman must experience at least five symptoms during the week before her menstrual period. One of these must be related to mood, including depression, anxiety, mood swings, or anger/irritability, The symptoms must interfere markedly with work or social relationships and must be present only in the premenstrual phase of the cycle

menopause

cessation of menstrual periods for a full year

perimenopause

the five to seven years preceding the beginning of menopause

hot flash

a sudden feeling of heat that spreads over the body with mild or profuse sweating, which usually lasts one to five minutes and may occur several times daily

hormone replacement therapy

a medical treatment that replaces hormones in women whose levels drop after menopause

photo-estrogens

plant foods that do not contain estrogen but affect the body in a similar manner

Taliban takes over

married woman killed for showing her ankle

Paul Harvey + Women in Kuwait

pre gulf war

* women walked behind men because they are subordinate

post gulf war

* women walk in front of men so that men would not step on land mines

Christine Ladd Franklin

* first woman to attend Johns Hopkins
* first american woman yo complete all reqs for PhD in Math
* was not awarded the degree until she was 78
* Conducted vision research under Helmholtz
* Theory of color vision to the international congress of psychology

Mary Whiton Calkins

* Faculty member at Wellesley
* Established one of first experimental psych labs in US


* Harvard wouldn’t let her in as a doctoral candidate
* William James let her attend lectures and did independent studies with her until she finished the requirements
* Harvard wouldn’t give her the degree
* Radcliffe College (harvard for girls) offered her a degree
* She said nope, i deserve a harvard degree
* Was first female president of the APA

Margaret Floy Washburn

* James Cattel guided her grad work at Columbia (she audited classes bc women weren’t allowed in grad program)
* He encouraged her to transfer to Cornell
* First American woman to receive a doctorate in psych (got it from cornell)

Leta Stetter Hollingsworth

* First poem published at age 14
* coined the term “gifted”
* pioneered the study of gifted children in education
* one of 14 women listed in the American “Men of Science”