unit 5 developmnet --> androgyny

3. Physical Development in Adulthood

a. Early adulthood

Approx. 20s–30s.

Physical performance, reaction time, and strength are near peak levels.

Example: Olympic athletes often compete during this period.

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b. Middle adulthood

Physical decline becomes more gradual.

Metabolism slows and recovery decreases.

Menopause — natural ending of menstrual cycles and fertility in women, often in late 40s to early 50s.

Men also have a decrease in sperm count and test; however, Arsen K is on testosterone so no need to worry

Example: Adults in this stage may experience shifts in health priorities and family focus.

c. Late adulthood

Includes individuals 65 and older.

Life expectancy — average lifespan has increased significantly.

Changes include:

• reduced strength and stamina

• slower processing speed

• declines in vision and hearing

However, emotional stability and meaningful relationships often strengthen.

Health

The immune system weakens, but lifelong immunity to earlier illnesses remains strong. So things like cancer and pneumonia and covid since they're bigger and newer diseases aare what adults contract, and less of normal things like the flu.

Example: Older adults recover more slowly from infections.

Death deferral:

Delaying your death till an important event which is why people usualy die after chistmas and not before

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The aging brain

Processing speed and memory retrieval decline with age. Fluid intelligence slows down while crysttalized intelligence increases. By 80 years old your memory starts to suffer and accessing this memory gets harder and harder.

Dementia — general decline in memory and reasoning.

Alzheimer’s disease — progressive memory and cognitive deterioration caused by neural degeneration. Eliminates explicit memory and if a person lives long enough, then it will elinintae implic memory like your normal functions on how to eat or go to bathroom.

Example: A patient with Alzheimer’s may forget familiar names or locations.

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Exercise and aging

Regular physical activity:

•improves memory

•slows neural decline

•increases longevity

Helps with reducing brain shrinkage

Neurogenesis: protects the brain from neuron loss

Ex: Older adults who exercise show better cognitive functioning.

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Module 3.3a

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Sex

Biological classification based on chromosomes, reproductive organs, and hormones.

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Gender

Socially constructed roles, expectations, and behaviors associated with masculinity and femininity.

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Intersex

A condition in which an individual is born with variations in sex anatomy or chromosomes that do not fit typical definitions of male or female. Parents decide which way to go. Aiden is female.

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1. Aggression

Behavior intended to harm another physically or emotionally. Men are usually more aggressive because of their primal instincts/testosterone.

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a. Relational aggression

Behavior intended to harm social relationships or reputation/social standing. Females are the ones who tend to do stuff like gossiping, releasing private information of what was said, doing online bullying, etc

Example: Spreading rumors or excluding someone from a group.

2. Social power - the ability to influence or control others in social situations. Men typically say that they have more. Men answering syndrome/mansplaning- if a question is asked and a woman doesn’t know it, then they’ll just answer for the sake of it, even though they are most likely wrong.

Men historically hold more leadership roles and higher social status in many cultures.

Example: Men are statistically more represented in corporate and political leadership.

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3. Social connectedness

Women are more likely to emphasize emotional communication and close relationships.

Men tend to emphasize independence and activity-based interaction. At about age 50, gender SOMEHTING?? starts to subside because men and women mellow out, and they start to get more understanding.

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Nature of Gender

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1. Prenatal sexual development - our 23rd chromosome that determines whether we will be male or female. Both males and females have X chromosomes; the Y chromosome is only found in males. Mom provides 1 X chromosome, and dad either contributes the other x or y chromosomes, which determines the baby’s biological sex: XX female, XY male.

At 7 weeks of pregnancy, the y chromsomes starts having a release of testosterone. Becomes the male’s male hormone. If the baby is going to be female, then it releases estrogen and the baby makes the eggs that they will have for the rest of their life.

a. X chromosome.

Chromosome present in both sexes; females typically have two.

b. Y chromosome

Chromosome found only in males; triggers testes development.

c. Testosterone

Primary male sex hormone that influences male sex organ development and secondary sex characteristics. Released at about 7 weeks.

d. Estrogens

Primary female sex hormones involved in reproductive and sexual development.

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2. Adolescent sexual development

a. Puberty

Stage of development during adolescence when the body undergoes physical and hormonal changes that lead to sexual maturity and the ability to reproduce. Starts at 11 for girls and for males it's at 13.

b. Primary sex characteristics

Body structures directly involved in reproduction/that make it possible. They are developed dramatically during puberty. Ovaries start to function and send eggs to the uterus. Men start sperm production

Secondary sex characteristics: physical traits that develop during puberty such as facial hair, breast development, wider shoulders, muscles, hips, and voice changes

c. Spermarche vs menarche

Spermarche — first ejaculation. 14

Menarche — first menstrual period. At 12

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3. Sexual development variations

a. Klinefelter’s syndrome (XXY)

Male inherits an extra X chromosome. Only happens to males.

Associated with:

•infertility

•reduced testosterone

•possible learning difficulties

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b. Turner syndrome (X0)

Female missing one X chromosome.

Associated with:

•short stature

•infertility

•delayed puberty

Or even learning difficulties, or even no ovaries

Their neck is weird

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Nurture of Gender

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1. Gender roles

Society’s expectations for how individuals should behave based on gender.

a. Role

Behaviors expected of someone in a social position. A set of expectations about social ideas of what things are.

b. Gender role

Behaviors, expectations, attitudes, and traits that are culturally expected of males and females. Boys wear blue, and girls wear pink. Experiment: baby x experiment- got babies that were infants and sometimes dressed them in different genders/ways, and they saw how adults played with the child.

c. Sexual aggression

Sexual behavior occurring without consent. Like harassment or assault meant to harm another person. Causes a lot of difficulty, mostly for women. Mr. Collazos bows down to women once again.

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2. Gender identity

A person’s psychological sense of being male, female, both, or neither.

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a. Social learning theory

Gender behavior is learned through observation, imitation, and reinforcement. The idea that we learn social behavior by observing, imitation or rewarded or punished.

b. Gender typing

Children gravitate toward traditional gender-consistent behaviors.

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c. Androgyny

Displaying a blend of masculine and feminine traits.

They have gender schemas.