In Class Notes 10/8: Understanding Sex and Gender Differences

Sex

Biological differences in ordnance, hormones, and body shape between males and females.

Gender

Differences in male and female roles, behaviors, clothes, and activities that are socially defined.

Gender Roles

Expectations of how men and women should behave in a society, which can vary significantly across cultures.

Parental Attitudes

Parents' feelings about children playing with toys associated with the opposite sex, which have relaxed over time, especially for girls.

Rigid Gender Roles

Preschoolers can adopt strict male and female roles based on messages from parents, siblings, and peers.

Freud's Phallic Stage

The third psychosexual stage where boys focus on the penis and girls experience penis envy.

Oedipus Complex

A psychological concept suggesting preschool-age boys desire to possess their mothers and eliminate their fathers.

Electra Complex

A psychological concept suggesting preschool-age girls desire to possess their fathers and eliminate their mothers.

Same-Sex Identification

Around age 4, children start to identify with and model themselves after their same-sex parents.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Suggests children develop gender roles to resolve the Oedipus complex and identify with their parents.

Behaviorism

Proposes that gender differences and roles are shaped by environmental rewards and punishments.

Social Learning Theory

Suggests children learn gender-related behaviors by observing and imitating others.

Cognitive Theory

Proposes that children develop a gender schema for understanding sex differences.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of others, essential for moral development.

Prosocial Behavior

Behavior intended to benefit others without expecting anything in return.

Aggression

A common behavior in preschoolers that should decrease as they develop empathy and self-control.

Lead Exposure

A significant risk for preschoolers that can cause learning disabilities and affect brain development.

Child Maltreatment

Intentional harm or avoidable endangerment of a child under the age of 18.

Child Abuse

Any deliberate action that harms a child's physical, emotional, or sexual well-being.

Child Neglect

Failure to meet a child's basic physical, emotional, or educational needs.

Mandated Reporters

Individuals required by law to report suspected child maltreatment, including teachers and healthcare professionals.

Consequences of Child Maltreatment

Severe and long-lasting effects on a child's physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.

Primary Prevention

Creating conditions to minimize harm, such as laws regulating child discipline and care.

Secondary Prevention

Targeted interventions for high-risk situations or vulnerable populations.

Tertiary Prevention

Limiting damage after maltreatment has occurred through therapy and changing the child's home situation.

Foster Care

Temporary care for children removed from their homes due to maltreatment, preferred over institutional care.

The Marshmallow Experiment

A study testing children's ability to delay gratification, linked to future success.