Download Male and female brains are much more alike than they are dissimilar

Gender and Sexuality
Some 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 person’s psychological sense of
being male or female
• Sexual orientation—direction of a person's emotional
and erotic attractions
Gender Related Differences
• Gender-role stereotypes are the beliefs and
expectations people hold about the
characteristics and behaviors of each sex
• The differences between men and women are
average differences, not absolute differences.
• Knowing that a gender difference exists in no
way explains what caused that difference.
• Differences do not mean deficiencies
• Three main areas of gender differences
– Personality
– Cognitive abilities
– Sexual attitudes and behaviors
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
Cognitive Differences
• No differences for most cognitive abilities
• Verbal, reading, and writing—females
consistently score higher
• Spatial skills—males outscore females on
mentally rotating objects, females score
better on remembering locations of objects
• Math Skills—males score slightly better
than females
Males & Females
differ in their
memory abilities.
See the video
from NBC News.
“His” and “Her” Brains?
Male and female brains are much more alike than they are
dissimilar
Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors
• Reported differences between males and
females in these areas have become less
pronounced since the 1960s
• Some differences did emerge in metaanalysis of 170 studies. Compared to
women, men…
– tend to have more sexual partners,
– experience first intercourse at an earlier age,
– masturbate more frequently than women.
Are women really more
emotional than men?
• Research findings suggest that men and
women differ little in their experience of
emotions.
• However, women more easily express their
emotions and display more emotional
awareness.
• The expression of emotions is strongly
determined by culturally determined display
rules.
• In the United States and many other
cultures, women are allowed a wider range
Men, Women, & Conflict:
Bridging the Gender Gap
Communication & Conflict
• Researchers have found that men and
women communicate differently when dealing
with problems, emotional issues, and
interpersonal conflict
– Women often become the “emotion managers”
and “care-takers of intimacy” in close
relationships.
– During emotional conflicts, men are more likely
than women to experience flooding—feeling
overwhelmed by their own emotions
– When men experience flooding, they typically go
into the stonewalling mode—which frustrates and
angers women, who react by flooding
Breaking the Cycle
• Suggestions for breaking the vicious circle of
flooding-stonewalling-flooding include the
following:
– Be aware of gender differences
– Call a time-out if you are feeling overwhelmed
– Focus on constructive thoughts during the timeout
– Keep the focus on maintaining the relationship