Download PSY Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Gender and
Sexuality
Dr. M. Davis-Brantley
What’s Sex & What’s Gender?
General Definitions
• Sex—the biological category of male or female;
sexual intercourse
• Gender—cultural, social, and psychological
meanings associated with masculinity or femininity
• Gender roles—behaviors, attitudes, and personality
traits designated either masculine or feminine in a
given culture
• Gender identity—A persons psychological sense of
being male or female
• Sexual orientation—direction of a person's
emotional and erotic attractions
What are stereotypes in general?
Gender Role Stereotypes
• The beliefs and expectations people hold
about the typical characteristics, preferences,
and behaviors of men and women
• In the US, men and women view the female
stereotype more positively than the male
stereotype. This is called benevolent
sexism
– “Women are weak, delicate, supported, etc..
– Does this contribute to gender inequality?
• There is a high degree of agreement on the
characteristics associated with each sex
among people of many different cultures
Gender Related Differences
• Differences do not mean deficiencies
• Three main areas of gender differences
– Personality
– Cognitive abilities
– Sexual attitudes and behaviors
Are men and women really
opposite/fundamentally different
in all areas of life?
Personality Differences
• No significant differences between men and women
on most characteristics
• Women tend to be more nurturant than men
• Men tend to be more assertive than women
• However, in the 1970s, there was a prevalent belief
that girls lacked strength, stamina, and
aggressiveness
– 1971—1 in 27 girls played sports
– Today—1 in 2.5 girls play sports
• Law was passed to forbid sexual discrimination in
educational programs
Cognitive Differences
• No differences for most cognitive abilities
• Verbal, reading, and writing—females consistently
score higher
• Spatial skills—males score slightly higher than
females on mentally rotating objects, females score
better on remembering locations of objects
• Math Skills—males score slightly better than females
• It is imperative to note that over the last several
decades, the so-called gender gap in math is steadily
narrowing
• See webpage for new information
Why the cognitive differences?
• There are said to be structural differences in brain
function
– Males and females are exposed to different hormones
prenatally. These hormones may impact the development
of brain structures
– Throughout puberty, there continues to be the release of
these hormones which impact key brain structures
– Men have larger brains, this does not mean there is larger
brain power
– Women actually have more gray matter, which is made up
of neurons and cell bodies
• However, what role has society played on these
differences?
Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors
• Researchers report that the differences between
males and females in these areas have become less
pronounced since the 1960s
• Recent meta-analyses indicate that men tend to have
more sexual partners, experience first intercourse at
an earlier age, and masturbate more frequently than
women.
• However, researcher have also found that both men
and women tend to be less honest on questions
related to sexual behaviors and attitudes
Figure 10.1 How Often Do You Think About Sex?
Hockenbury: Psychology, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Worth Publishers
Gender Role Development
• Between ages 2-3 years, children can identify
themselves and other children as boys or
girls. The concept of gender or sex, however
is based more on outward characteristics
such as clothing.
• Toddler girls tend to play more with dolls and
ask for help more than boys
• Toddler boys tend to play more with trucks
and wagons, and tend to play more actively
• Why is this?
• After age 3 years we see consistent gender
differences in preferred toys and activities
Social Learning Theory
• Asserts that gender roles are acquired
through the basic processes of learning,
including reinforcement, punishment, and
modeling
• For instance, children are reinforced when
they display gender-appropriate behaviors
and punished when they do not
• Through modeling, they observe and imitate
the sex-typed behavior of significant adults
Human Sexuality
Human Sexual Response
• Stage 1: Excitement—beginning of sexual arousal
– Can occur due to fantasies or other arousing stimuli
– Heart rate & blood pressure rises, blood shifts to the genitals in
preparation for intercourse
• Stage 2: Plateau—increased physical arousal
– Penis becomes fully erect (possible pre-ejaculatory fluid)
– Vaginal opening tightens, lubrication continues
• Stage 3: Orgasm—male ejaculates, female vaginal contractions
– Shortest phase of cycle, blood pressure & heart rate at their peak
– Men typically experience one intense orgasm, many women can have
multiple
• Stage 4: Resolution—arousal subsides
– Return to normal arousal levels
– Males experience a refractory period where he is incapable of another
erection or orgasm
What Motivates Sexual Behavior?
• Necessary for the survival of the
species but not of the individual
• Lower animals motivated by hormonal
changes in the female
• Higher species less influenced by
hormones and more by learning and
environmental influences
Sexual Orientation
• Sexual orientation—direction of a person's
emotional and erotic attractions
• Heterosexual—sexual attraction for the
opposite sex
• Homosexual—sexual attraction for the same
sex
• Gay—typically used to describe male
homosexuals
• Lesbian—typically used to describe female
homosexuals
• Bisexual—sexual attraction for both sexes
Determination of Sexual
Orientation
• Genetics—role suggested by twin and family
studies
– 48% of identical twins and 16% of fraternal
twins—on sibling was homosexual
• Brain structure—differences found in
hypothalamus of homosexual and
heterosexual men
• Complex issue with no clear answers
Some General Findings
• Sexual orientation is an early-emerging, ingrained
aspect of the self that probably does not change
– Bell (1981) reported that sexual orientation is determined
before adolescence and usually 3 years before beginning
sexual activity
• No consistent relationship between orientation and
childhood experiences (e.g., parenting, abuse, sexual
experience)
• Controversial findings suggest a possible relationship
among prenatal stress, androgens, and the development
of brain systems that play a role in sexual attraction
Sexual Development
• Puberty—stage where an individual reaches
sexual maturity and is physically capable of
sexual reproduction
• Primary sex characteristics—sex organs
directly involved in reproduction
• Secondary sex characteristics—develop
during puberty, not directly involved in
reproduction, but distinguish male from
female
• Adolescent growth spurt—period of
accelerated growth during puberty
• Menarche—female’s first menstrual period
Sexuality in Adulthood
• Majority of adults (80%) report having none or one
sexual partner in the past year (marriage factor)
• Majority of men ages 18-59 have sex about seven
times per month
• Majority of women ages 18-59 have sex about six
times per month
• Vaginal intercourse is nearly universal as the most
widely practiced sexual activity among
heterosexual couples
• 50 percent of older Americans reported sexual
activity at least once per month.
Table 10.2
Hockenbury: Psychology, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Worth Publishers
Sexual Disorders and Problems
• Sexual dysfunction—consistent disturbance
in sexual desire, arousal, or orgasm that
causes psychological distress and
interpersonal difficulties
• 41% of women and 31% of men report sexual
problems
• Low desire and arousal problems common
among women
• Premature ejaculation and erectile problems
common among men
Paraphilia
Any of several forms of nontraditional sexual behavior
where sexual gratification depends on an unusual
experience, object, or fantasy
– Exhibitionism—arousal from exposing one’s genitals to
strangers
– Fetishism—arousal in response to inanimate objects
(shoes, leather)
– Frotteurism—arousal from touching or rubbing against
a non-consenting person, such as in a bus or subway
– Sexual sadism—sexual arousal achieved through
intentionally inflicting psychological/physical pain
– Sexual masochism—sexual arousal achieved through
intentionally being humiliated, beaten, bound, or made
to suffer psychological/physical pain
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
(STD)
• STD—any of several infectious diseases
transmitted through sexual intercourse or
other sexual contact
• Of the 12 million cases of STDs diagnosed
annually in the US, about 8 million are among
people under 25 years of age
• Many STDs have mild or no symptoms, yet
left untreated can cause serious health
problems
Table 10.3
Hockenbury: Psychology, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Worth Publishers
AIDS Epidemic
• Acquired immune deficiency syndrome—caused
by exchange of bodily fluids (blood, blood
products, semen) containing the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which attacks and
weakens the immune system
• HIV can stay in the body for many years without
apparent symptoms
• As the HIV attacks the immune system, the person
becomes very susceptible to other opportunistic
diseases (pneumonia, cancers)
• Highest risk groups are gay men, IV drug users
sharing needles, and people with multiple sex
partners
Prevention and Treatment
• There is currently no cure for AIDS, but it can
be treated with complex “drug cocktails,”
which improve quality and duration of life, but
have many side effects and are extremely
expensive
• Prevention is possible using condoms, not
engaging in other high risk behaviors such as
sharing needles, and improved blood
screening and infection control in health care
settings.