ECU PSYC 3300 - Chapter 16 - Part 2 - Slides (6 pages)

6 19 2018 Chapter 16 Part 2 The Search for Androgyny Androgyny Having both masculine feminine traits Prior to 1970 s Assumption of a single dimension Masculine Feminine The Search for Androgyny 1970s Researchers challenged single dimension idea Masculinity femininity might be independent Developed new measures to assess 2 dimensions Masculinity High Low Low Femininity High 1 6 19 2018 The Search for Androgyny Many criticisms of new measures Research shows masculinity femininity is a single bipolar trait NOT 2 independent traits Masculine Feminine Gender Stereotypes Three components Affective feelings e g hostility warmth Behavioral actions e g discrimination Cognitive thoughts e g categorizations Content of stereotypes Attributes we believe people possess Gender Stereotypes Similar across cultures Women perceived as more communal group oriented Men perceived as more instrumental asserting independence from group 2 6 19 2018 Gender Stereotypes Can affect Health Jobs Odds of advancement Social reputations Gender Stereotypes Janet has slept with half the men in her biology lab She is a s u Jared has slept with half the women in his biology lab He is a s u Janet slut Jared stud Double standard Theories of Sex Differences 3 6 19 2018 Socialization Roles Boys rewarded for acting masculine Girls for acting feminine Bandura s social learning theory Boys girls learn by observing same sex others Socialization Roles Cross cultural evidence diff treatment of boys girls Criticism Idea that causal arrow runs only one way parents children is questionable Socialization Roles Criticism No account of origin of sex diffs in socialization practices Response Social role theory Sex diffs arise because men women learn diff work family roles Some research support for social role theory but Same problem No account of origin of roles 4 6 19 2018 Hormonal Theories Hormonal physiological diffs cause boys girls to develop differently After puberty Not much overlap in testosterone levels Men have about 10x more Hormonal Theories Sex diffs in testosterone linked w gender roles Aggression Dominance Sexual desire Criticism Bi directional link between hormones behavior e g acting agressively increased testosterone No account of origins of hormonal differences Evolutionary Theory Sexes are predicted to differ where they have faced with diff adaptive probs Probs must be solved to survive reproduce 5 6 19 2018 Evolutionary Theory Research supports many predicted sex diffs especially in sexuality Problem Hard to explain ind diffs E g Why are some people more masculine feminine than others An Integrated Theoretical Perspective Include all levels of analysis Socialization Hormonal Evolutionary It s not one or the other they re all important 6