1 Gender- sex, gender, androgyny and the BSRI

What is the definition of sex?

The biological differences between males and females including chromosomes, hormones and anatomy.

What is the definition of gender?

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

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex is fixed as it is determined by biology whereas gender is a social concept so will change according to the environment.

What does the term androgyny mean?

When individuals display a balance of both masculine and feminine behaviours.

Give one example of a study into gender stereotypes.

Seavey, children were dressed in different coloured clothing to see how adults would respond to them.

Name the research method for analysing gender stereotypes within the media. 

Content analysis

Who devised the theory of androgyny and what was their method for studying this?

Bem devised the theory of androgyny and the method for measuring this is the Bem’s sex role inventory.

Define the term gender identity.

An individual’s perception of their own masculinity or femininity.

What is the debate called which is between whether gender is the result of environmental or biological factors?

The nature-nurture debate.

Name a study into whether or not gender is fixed.

Batista boys by Imperato and McGinley.

What is the definition of sex-role stereotypes?

A set of beliefs and preconceived ideas about what is expected or appropriate for men and women in a given society or social group.

Explain Bem’s sex role inventory (BSRI) in more detail.

It is a questionnaire which asks people to rate themselves on a range of stereotypically masculine, feminine and neutral characteristics. Their scoring is used to determine whether someone has a predominantly masculine, feminine, androgynous or undifferentiated gender identity.

Explain Seavey et al’s study in more detail.

In this study a baby aged 3 months was dressed in either pink, blue or yellow. An adult (Ps) were observed interacting with the baby for 3 minutes. In the room there were different toys that the adults could use, a ball (masculine toy), a doll (feminine toy) and a rattle (gender neutral toy). Seavey found that when the adults though the baby was male, they used the rattle or ball, when the baby was thought to be female they used the doll and when the adults did not know the sex of the baby, male Ps were more likely to use the rattle whereas the female Ps interacted with the child freely. This therefore shows that gender stereotypes are reinforced by adults from an early age.

What is the limitations of the BSRI about androgyny and psychological well-being being linked?

-Adams and Sherer argued that people who display a greater proportion of masculine traits are better adjusted as these are more highly valued in some societies.

-This suggests that Bem’s research may not have taken adequate account of the social and cultural context in which it was developed.

What is the limitations of the BSRI about it oversimplified a complex concept?

-It has been argued that gender identity is too complex to be reduced to a single score.

-Alternatives have been developed (Personal attribute questionnaire (PAQ)) which replaces Bem’s masculinity-femininity dimension with one which measures instrumentality and expressivity. This is still based on the idea that gender identity can be quantified.

-Susan Golombok and Robyn Fivush claimed that gender identity is a much more global concept than is suggested by these scales. We must consider broader issues such as the person’s interests and perception of their own abilities.

What is a strength of the Bem scale?

It appears to be valid and reliable.

-The BSRI was piloted with over 1000 students and the results broadly corresponded with the participants’ own description of their gender identity. This suggests the BSRI has a degree of validity.

-A follow-up study involving a smaller sample of the same students revealed similar scores when the students were tested a month later. This suggests that the scale has high test-retest reliability.