PBSI 300 Exam #2

Documented differences between boys and girls

-Boys have more learning and developmental disorders (4x more likely to be diagnosed with autism, ADHD and dyslexia)

-Girls are 2x more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and eating disorders

-Boys are much more likely to die in accidents and to successfully commit suicide

-Girls attempt suicide more often

-Girls make up to 57% of college students today

Biological differences between boys an girls

Girls' brains finish growing about one or two years earlier than boys

Socialization

-the process by which each generation passes along to children the knowledge, beliefs, and skills that constitute the culture of the social group children learn from parents, media, school, and peers

Plasticity of the brain

the brain actually changes in response to its own experience

Neuroplasticity

London taxicab drivers study

History of Pink

-originally a boys color

-changed into a girls color due to the influence of clothes retailers/merchandisers

By 2-3 years

children start developing their gender identity

By 2 years

children associated specific objects and activities with females and males

By 3 years

children have gender stereotypes for toys, clothing, activities etc.

By 3-5 years

children have knowledge of gender-stereotyped activities and occupations grows rapidly

By 5-7 years

children's gender stereotypes are very rigid

By 7-12 years

children have more flexibility in gender stereotypes

By adolescence and older

gender stereotypes become less flexible again

Childhood through adolescence

-boys have increasingly better motor skills compared to girls -girls have more flexibility and coordination compared to boys

Title IX of Education Act of 1972

-has dramatically increased participation of girls and women in sports -equal opportunities in education but first applied to women's sports

Gender segregation

Starts at age 3

Boys' play environments

-more rough, competitive, active

-rough-and-tumble play

Rough-and-tumble play

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

Girls' play environments

more pretend, sedentary, and cooperative

Parent's influence on gender development

-children's views about gender are closely linked to those of their parents -speak and act differently with sons and daughters

Siblings influence on gender development

-most frequent out-of-school companions for children and young adults -important source of gender socialization

Peers' influence on gender development

-rejection of nontraditional behavior -differential treatment

John Money

sexologist who felt "nurture" not nature determines gender identity

Adolescence

transition period between childhood and adulthood

Adolescence growth spurt

a rapid increase in height and weight

Puberty

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

Menarche

the beginning of menstruation

Age of onset for puberty

girls start and finish two years before boys

Primary sex characteristics

structures that make reproduction possible

Secondary sex characteristics

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

Early maturing girls

-may have feelings of self-consciousness and shame -confronted with challenging sexual expectations -as well-adjusted as other girls by the end of high school

Late maturing girls

-may have low social status during middle school -often dissatisfied with appearance -may end up more popular and more satisfied with appearance than early maturing girls

Identity

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

Individuate

when people see themselves as unique and seperate

Social media

relationship between social media and mental illness

Self-esteem

-sense of worth or value that people attach themselves to

-diminished for both genders in early adolescence

Gender intensification

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

Self-objectification

girl's concern with body weight and appearance

Silencing

loss of identity, confidence; self-censored (more common among White girls)

Kelli Peterson

-founded the Gay-Straight Alliance in 1996

Virginity

socially constructed, heterosexual-normative

Hysteria

-used to describe women's health issues -believed the womb traveled around the body and contributed to health issues

Marital rape

became a crime in all 50 states in 1993

Birth control

became legal in 1961 in US for married couples

Sodomy laws

-"crime against nature" -1/3 of countries outlaw consensual same-sex behavior

Child marriage

any formal or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or other child

Sexuality Scripts

-romantic relationship script -dating script -wedding script -sex script

Freud

vaginal (more mature) vs. clitoral orgasm

Best predictor of sexual satisfaction

general emotional well-being and emotional relationship with partner

Kinsey

-"Sexual Behavior in the Human Female" -personal interviews of 6000 women

Kinsey scale

0 to 6 scale of sexuality 0 being solely heterosexual 6 being exclusively homosexual

Masters and Johnson

-studied the human sexual response -participants had to be willing to have sex in front of them

Shere Hite

concluded that women were more likely to get orgasms through masturbation than penile thrusting

Vulva

collective term for the external female genitalia

Vagina

very little sensitivity (14% of women aren't aware of being touched)

Clitoris

only purpose for sexual pleasure

The sexual response cycle

excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution

Excitement phase

body gets aroused

Plateau phase

high arousal

Orgasmic phase

orgasm

Resolution phase

body returns to pre-arousal state

Vasocongestion

swelling of the genital tissues with blood

Orgasmic platform

the low third of the vagina becomes engorged with blood

Gender differences in sexual response

-women can have multiple orgasms -easier to know that an orgasm happened in men

Vaginal vs. Clitoral Orgasm

-physiologically the same -psychologically may be perceived as different

Men are more likely to orgasm when sex includes vaginal intercourse

women are more likely to orgasm when they engage in a variety of sex acts and when oral sex or vaginal intercourse is included

Compared to men

women have greater sexual plasticity and fluidity

Inhibited sexual desire

-25% of women

-lack desire for sexual activity

-common side effect of anti-depressant medication

Female orgasmic disorder

-25% of women -experiencing the excitement phase of the sexual response cycle but not achieving an orgasm

Penile penetration only

1/2 or fewer of women do not have orgasms

Sexual arousal disorder

-14% of women -insufficient lubrication or failure to be aroused

Dyspareunia

-7% of women -painful intercourse

Immediate causes for sexual problems

1. anxiety such as fear of failure

2. cognitive interference

3. failure to communicate

4. failure to effectively stimulate

Sexual orientation

1. sexual identity

2. sexual behavior

3. sexual/romantic attraction

Lesbian

a woman who is emotionally and sexually attracted to other women

Heterosexism

the view that heterosexuality is the norm and that homosexuality is abnormal

Homophobia

negative reactions to homosexuality and irrational fear of homosexuals

Gay man

a man who is emotionally and sexually attracted to other men

Asexual

-a person who is attracted to neither men nor women -a sexual orientation describing people who do not experience sexual attraction

Bisexual person

attracted to both men and women

Transgender

an individual whose gender identity differs from the gender he or she was assigned at birth

Cybersex

a social interaction between at least two person who exchange computer messages for the purposes of sexual arousal and satisfaction

"Organ recital"

sex education that solely focuses on biology

"Just say no"

-sex education that teaches abstinence-only -not effective in decreasing sex or STDs

Comprehensive model

-emotions, attitudes, and making informed choices -more effective than just abstinence-only programs

Frigidity

-failure of women to have vaginal orgasms -problem was diagnosed as failure to adjust as a woman

Sexual agency

their level of personal responsibility and conscious choice

Sexuality activity in midlife

physical changes associated with menopause

28% of older women

valued sex less as they entered mid-life

27% of older women

sex remains highly important throughout their 40s, 50s, and 60s

48% of older women

valued a healthy sex life as they entered the menopausal years but gradually lost interest throughout their 50s or 60s

Physical factors affecting sexual behavior

-changes in reproductive system -chronic illness and disability -medication

Psychosocial factors affecting sexual behavior

-societal views -attitudes of nursing home staff

Menstrual cycle

typical 28 days

Follicular phase

-day 4-14 -low levels of estrogen and progesterone -Hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary glands to secrete a follicle-stimulating hormone

Ovulatory phase

-day 14 -release of the egg into fallopian tubes -ovulation occurs

Menstruation

-days 1-4 -bleeding occurs

Lifetime

average women has 450 periods in her lifetime

Dysmenorrhea

painful abdominal cramps during menstruation

Prostaglandins

hormone-like chemicals secreted by uterine wall and other tissues