Adolescent Development Exam 2

Freud and Erikson argued that

anatomy influence gender behavior

Freud believed that

gender and sexual behavior are unlearned and instinctual

Freud and Erikson Critics stress that

• experience is not given enough credit

• females and males are freer to choose their gender roles Erikson

Alice Eagly social role theory

gender differences mainly result from the contrasting roles of females and males

Social Influences on Gender (parents)

• Parents allow boys independence than girls

• Parents may also have different achievement expectations for their adolescent sons and daughters , especially in academic areas

Mothers and fathers interact differently with their sons and daughters

• Mothers socialize girls to be obedient and responsible

• Fathers engage in more activities with sons and promote sons ' intellectual development

social cognitive theory of gender

emphasizes that children's gender development is influenced by

• Their observation and imitation of others gender behavior

• rewards and punishments they experience for gender appropriate behavior

Siblings can play significant role in gender socialization

younger siblings become more similar to their older siblings in terms of gender roles

Social influence (peers)

•model masculine and feminie behavior

•socialize gender behavior by accepting or rejecting others

Sociak influences (school)

• girls more compliant and neat

• boys mkre likely to have leaneing disabilities and drop out

Social influences (media)

• stereotypes , especially teenage girls

• media influence body images

Social cognitive theory

Gender develops through observation, imitation, rewards, and punishment

Cognitive approach critics

Too little attention to adolescents own mind

Gender schema theory

Gender-typing emerged as childten develop sxhemas of what is gender appropriate for their culture

Gender stereotyoes

Broad categories that reflect our impressions and beliefs about females and males

Differences between sexes

• differences are average, do not apply to all

Girls/women

Twice the body fat of men

Boys/men

Grow to be taller and have more strength

Differences in the brain

• findings are small and inconsistent

• no gender differences in overall intellectual ability

Boys tend to

Outperform girls on visuospatial skills

Girls tend to

Outperform boys in reading and writing

Socioemotional differences

• Boys tend to be more physically aggressive

• Relational aggression is higher in girls overall aggression

Rapport talk

establishing connections and negotiating relationships — more in women

Report talk

Gives information (story telling, joking, lecturing) — more in men

prosocial behavior

Girls view themselves as more prosocial and empathetic

Girls

•express more emotion

•smile and cry more

•better at decoding emotions

Boys aged 13-16

Show less self regulation which can cause behavior problems

David Buss argues

Gender differences are extensive and caused by adaptive problems genders have faced across history

Alice eagly concludes

Gender differences are substantial but are due to social conditions

• women having less power than men

Janet Shibley Hyde

Concludes that gender differences have been greatly exaggerated.

Gender in context

Traits people display may vary with the situation

•variations are found across cultures

Men are..

• supposed to be independent , aggressive, & powerful

• masculine characteristics were healthy and good by society

Women are ..

• supposed to be dependent , nurturing, & uninterested in power

• feminine characteristics were considered undesirable

In the 1970s

Women and men became dissatisfied with stereotyped roles

Androgyny

displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics

Androgynous individuals

More flexible and more mentally healthy

Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI)

used to measure the degree of femininity, masculinity, or androgyny that a person exhibits

Too often boys are socialized to

•act tough

•hide feelings

would benefit from

•expressing anxieties/concerns

•learn to regulate aggression

Behaviors that validate adolescent men's behavior

•premarital sex

•alcohol and drugs

•illegal activities

gender role transcendence

The view that when an individual's competence is at issue, it should be conceptualized on a personal basis rather than on the basis of masculinity, femininity, or androgyny.

Transgender

an broad term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex

gender intensification hypothesis

the view that psychological and behavioral differences between boys and girls become greater during early adolescence because of increased socialization pressures to conform to traditional gender roles

Carol gilligan

argued that girls experience life differently than boys; have a "different voice"

different voice

•girls become aware that male dominated culture doesn't value their intense interest in intimacy

•presented with a choice deemed either selfish or selfless

•young girls "silence" this "different voice"

Critics of gilligan

•over emphasis on gender differences

•rarely includes a comparison group of boys or statistical analysis

•reinforce stereotypes

More media =

Adolescents exposed to

•sexually explicit websites

•use internet as resource for info on sexuality

Sexting

Sending sexually explicit messages or photos via email or texts using mobile phones or tablets.

Sexual identity

Emerges in the context of physical social and cultural factors

•influenced my social norms

•sexual orientation , activities, interests, etc.

Boys tend to _______ their sexual experiences

exaggerate

Girls tend to ______ their sexual experiences

Downplay

Sexual intercourse in adolescents is

Declining (1991;54.1% 2011;47.4%)

Sexual script

a stereotyped pattern of role prescriptions for how individuals should behave sexually

Sexual scripts involve

•male making sexual advances and female setting limits

•double standard makes stricter norms for females

Men sexual script

•initiate sex

•sex is physical

•men are rewarded with exception they get judged for appearing too sexual

Women sexual script

•inhibit sexual expression

•approach is emotion

•oral sex skills

•single sexual women are judged

Risk factors in adolescent sexual behavior

•poverty

•minority status

•substance use

•family/parenting

•peer factors

•sports activities / school influences

Adolescents who associate with deviant peers are likely to have more sexual partners by

Age 16

Cognitive facts implicated in sexual risk taking

•self control

•impulsivness