Gender and Sexuality Vocabulary

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to gender identity, sexual orientation, and associated psychological concepts.

Primary Sexual Characteristics

The sexual organs present at birth and directly involved in human reproduction.

Secondary Sexual Characteristics

The sexual organs and traits that develop at puberty and are indirectly involved in human reproduction.

Estrogens

The female sex hormones.

Androgens

The male sex hormones.

Gender

The psychological aspect of being male or female.

Gender Roles

The culture’s expectations for masculine or feminine behavior, including attitudes, actions, and personality traits.

Gender Typing

The process of acquiring gender-role characteristics.

Gender Identity

The individual’s sense of being male or female.

Social Learning Theory

States that gender identity is formed through reinforcement of appropriate gender behavior as well as imitation of gender models.

Gender Schema Theory

A theory where a child develops a mental pattern for being male or female and organizes observed behaviors around that schema.

Stereotype

A concept held about a person or group based on superficial, irrelevant characteristics.

Gender Stereotype

A concept held about a person or group based on being male or female.

Sexism

Prejudice about males and/or females leading to unequal treatment.

Androgyny

The characteristic of possessing the most positive personality traits of both males and females regardless of actual sex.

Intersex

A person who possesses both male and female sexual organs or ambiguous genitalia.

Sexual Orientation

A person’s sexual attraction toward members of a particular sex.

Heterosexual

When a person is sexually attracted to others of a different sex.

Gay

When a person is sexually attracted to others of the same sex.

Bisexual

A person who is sexually attracted to people of any sex.