Sex, gender & androgyny

What is the definition of sex?

The biological differences between males & females, including chromosomes, hormones & anatomy

What is the definition of gender?

The psychological & cultural differences between males & females including attitudes, behaviours & social roles

What is the definition of a sex-role stereotype?

A set of beliefs & preconceived ideas about what is expected or appropriate for males & females in a given society

What was the aim of Seavey et al.’s study?

To investigate the effects of gender stereotypes by adults

What method was used by Seavey et al?

• The study used a 3-month-old baby & there were 3 conditions: the baby was dressed in pink, blue or yellow

• Adults were observed interacting with the baby for 3 minutes

• There were several toys in the room that the adults could use:

  • ball (male toy)

  • doll (female toy)

  • rattle (gender-neutral toy)

What were the results from Seavey et al.’s study?

• Where adults thought the baby was male (dressed in blue), they used the rattle or ball

• Where adults thought the child was female (dressed in pink), they used the doll

• Where the adults didn’t know the sex of the child (dressed in yellow), males were more likely to use the rattle, whereas females interacted with the child freely

What were the conclusions from Seavey et al.’s study?

Gender stereotypes are reinforced by adults from an early stage

What is a limitation of Seavey et al.’s study?

• Demand characteristics may have occurred due to the adults knowing they were being observed

• They may have displayed more gender stereotyping than normal → not a valid reflection of everyday behaviour

Outline Imperato & McGinley’s case study of the Batista Boys

Aim:

• investigate whether or not gender is fixed

Method (case study):

• 18 males from same extended family in the Dominican Republic

• they were born with a hormone deficiency → their genitals appeared feminine, so were raised as girls

• at puberty, the increased production of testosterone caused their testicles to descend, & their clitoris-like organs to grow into penises

Results/Conclusion:

• they adopted male characteristics/appearance

• nearly all the boys adapted to their true sex & began to “behave like men”

What is the definition of androgyny?

Displaying a balance of masculine & feminine characteristics in one’s personality

What method did Sandra Bem develop for measuring androgyny?

The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI)

What did Sandra Bem believe about androgynous individuals?

Androgynous individuals are more psychologically healthy, as they are best placed to deal with situations that demand a masculine, feminine or androgynous response

What was the aim of the BSRI?

To challenge gender stereotypes & to see if individuals display a balance of both feminine & masculine behaviours

What was the method used in the BSRI?

1. Identify 20 masculine (e.g. aggressive), 20 feminine (e.g. gentle) & 20 gender-neutral characteristics (e.g. punctual)

2. Design a Likert scale, ranging from 1-7 (where 1 is ‘never true of me’ & 7 is ‘always true of me’)

3. Results are calculated by adding the feminine & masculine scores together, then multiplying by 2

4. Scores are then classified on the basis of two dimensions: masculinity-femininity & androgynous-undifferentiated

How does the BSRI oversimplify a complex concept?

Gender identity is too complex to be reduced to a single score:

• alternatives have been developed (e.g. Personal Attribute Questionnaire which measures instrumentality & expressivity) → gender identity is a much more global concept than is suggested by these scales

In order to understand gender identity more fully, what broader issues should be considered?

The person’s interests & perception of their own abilities

Discuss the concept of androgyny. Refer to the Bem sex role inventory (16 marks)

Write your AO1 paragraph

• Androgyny refers to a personality type that is characterised by a balance of masculine & feminine traits, attitudes or behaviours. For example, an individual may be a competitive & aggressive boss at work, but a caring & sensitive parent at home.

• Sandra Bem argued that highly androgynous people tend to have better psychological well-being, higher self-esteem & stronger relationships, as they are better equipped to deal with a range of situations & contexts that non-androgynous people would find difficult.

• To measure androgyny, Bem created the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), which is a self-report questionnaire containing 20 masculine (e.g. competitive), 20 feminine (e.g. gentle) & 20 gender-neutral traits (e.g. punctual). Participants rated themselves on a 7-point Likert scale, where 1 is “never true of me” & 7 is “always true of me.” Their masculine & feminine scores were added up & multiplied by 2, then used to classify individuals on the basis of 2 dimensions: masculinity-femininity & androgynous-undifferentiated.

Discuss the concept of androgyny. Refer to the Bem sex role inventory (16 marks)

Write your strength AO3 PEEL (test-retest reliability & sample size)

• Point: One strength of the BSRI is that it has good test-retest reliability & its self-report nature means large sample sizes can be used.

• Evidence: For example, the BSRI was given to over 1000 students, allowing the results to be quickly analysed & a follow-up study with the same students found similar scores when tested a month later.

• Explain: This increases the external validity of the BSRI, as there is high population validity & suggests it measures something enduring about gender identity, rather than reflecting temporary moods or circumstances.

• Link: As such, the BSRI is a reliable test for measuring androgyny, with results more likely to generalise to the wider population.

Discuss the concept of androgyny. Refer to the Bem sex role inventory (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (demand characteristics & social desirability bias)

• Point: One limitation of the BSRI is that it is prone to demand characteristics & social desirability bias, reducing its internal validity.

• Evidence: For example, due to the questionnaire’s self-report nature, participants may downplay the frequency in which they display less desirable personality traits (e.g. gullible), affecting how androgynous they appear.

• Explain: Additionally, self-report methods depend on individuals’ self-awareness, insight & understanding of behaviours & concepts, such as gender, making the results subjective.

• Link: Overall, this suggests that complex concepts, such as androgyny, cannot be investigated by self-report methods alone.

Discuss the concept of androgyny. Refer to the Bem sex role inventory (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (cultural bias & temporal validity)

• Point: One limitation of Bem’s BSRI study is that it suffers from cultural bias & low temporal validity.

• Evidence: For example, Bem’s research was conducted on an all-American sample in the 1970s, meaning it reflects Western cultural stereotypes at the time.

• Explain: However, gender is a social construct & ideas about what constitutes ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ vary significantly inter-culturally & over time.

• Link: Therefore, the BSRI’s cross-cultural applicability is limited, reducing its usefulness as a universal measure of androgyny.