Ch: 11 gender & sexuality

Sex - Biological differences between males and females, such as chromosomes, reproductive systems, and physical characteristics.

Intersex - A condition in which an individual’s physical sex characteristics do not fit typical definitions of male or female.

Gender - Socially and culturally constructed roles, behaviors, and attributes that a society considers appropriate for men and women.

Cisgender - A person whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

Transgender - A person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gender Affirming Care - Medical and psychological care that supports an individual's gender identity, such as hormone therapy or surgeries.

Hormone Therapy - A treatment involving the use of hormones to help a person transition to the gender they identify with.

Puberty Blockers - Medications that pause the physical changes of puberty in transgender youth to give them more time to explore their gender identity.

Gender Nonconformity - The expression of gender in ways that do not align with traditional societal expectations for one’s sex.

Sexual Orientation - An individual's emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others, often categorized as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, etc.

Gender Roles - Social and cultural expectations regarding how individuals of different genders should behave, think, or feel.

Gender Norms - Unwritten rules or expectations about what is considered appropriate for people based on their gender.

Gender Stereotypes - Oversimplified and fixed ideas about the characteristics or behaviors of men and women.

Gender Differences - The perceived or actual differences in behavior, traits, or roles between men and women.

Double Standard - A societal bias where one set of rules or expectations is applied to one gender and a different set to another, often seen in judgments of sexual behavior.

Hyde - A psychologist who emphasized the gender similarity hypothesis, arguing that males and females are more alike than different.

Gender Similarity Hypothesis - The theory that men and women are more alike than different in most psychological traits.

Within-group vs. Between-group Differences - Within-group differences refer to variations within the same gender, while between-group differences refer to differences between genders.

Gender Typing - The process by which individuals come to identify with behaviors and traits that society deems appropriate for their gender.

Gender Segregation - The tendency for children to associate more with peers of their own gender.

Gender Socialization - The process by which individuals learn and internalize the gender roles and expectations of their culture.

Gender Intensification - The increased pressure during adolescence to conform to traditional gender roles, often due to societal expectations.

Theoretical Perspectives on Gender - Different psychological theories that explain how gender identity and roles develop, including biological, social, and cognitive approaches.

Biological Perspective - The theory that gender differences are rooted in biology, such as hormones, genetics, and brain structure.

Biosocial Theory of Gender Typing - A theory that combines biological influences with social learning to explain gender role development.

Social Learning Theory - The theory that gender roles are learned through observation, imitation, and reinforcement.

Kohlberg - A psychologist who proposed stages of gender development, suggesting that children actively construct their gender identity through cognitive processes.

Gender Identity - A person’s internal sense of their gender, which may or may not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gender Stability - The understanding, typically developed around age 4-5, that gender is consistent over time (e.g., girls become women, boys become men).

Gender Constancy - The understanding, developed around age 6-7, that gender remains the same regardless of changes in appearance or behavior.

Adolescents & Sexual Activity - The period in which individuals experience sexual development, and the onset of sexual activity varies widely across cultures and individuals.

Teenage Pregnancy (General Rates/Trends & Prevention) - Teen pregnancy rates have generally declined due to improved education, access to contraception, and social changes in attitudes towards teenage parenthood.

Frequency of Sexual Intercourse with Age (General Rates/Trends) - Sexual activity tends to increase during adolescence and young adulthood, plateauing in midlife, and typically decreases in older age.

Levels of Sexual Desire by Age - Sexual desire generally peaks during adolescence and young adulthood, often declines with age due to hormonal changes and life circumstances.