Lecture #7

Question 1

Define sex and gender

Answer 1

Sex: a person’s biological identity; chromosomes, physical identity and hormones

Gender: a person’s social and cultural identity
- The two are typically strongly correlated

Question 2

Why have two sexes?

Answer 2

• Sexual reproduction produces greater diversity, parasite resistance, and reduces negative
• Developmental process varies between the sexes
• Shuffling of genes that happens during sex that is the big benefit
• Mutations

Question 3

Are the sexes equal in their reproductive fitness?

Answer 3

Women’s success
- The world record for having the most number of children officially recorded is 69 by the first two wives of Feodor

• Gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets

Men’s success
- The most prolific father of all time is believed to be the last Sharifian, he had at least 342 daughters and 525 sons and by 1721, he was reputed to have 700 male descendants

• Then a study in 2003 suggested that up to 16 million people worldwide (.5% of men) – and 8% of Asian men – were descended from Genghis Khan and relatives
• Thus, on average, men can experience much more variance than women and these may lead to different adaptations

Question 4

HEXACO personality traits

• Men and women have different average levels of basic personality traits:
• Men VS. Women

Answer 4

1. Honest-Humility
   - how willing you are to exploit others; women are more honest
2. Emotionality
   - how sentimental you are, women are much higher
3. Extraversion
   - men are no different then women
4. Agreeableness
   - opposite of honesty, how forgiving are you to other people exploiting you, men and women the same
5. Conscientiousness
   - women are more consciountenous
6. Openness to Experience
   - women are a little lest (fear or not as willing)

Question 5

Why these sex differences?

Answer 5

• Women are seen as primary caregivers of children in every society
• More competitive than men are less sentimental and more willing to exploit others for gain

Question 6

Sex, evolution and gender differences

Answer 6

• Parental investment theory: trade-off between investing time and resources in parenting and mating lead to sex specific strategies and preferences
• Misconceptions relating to evolution of male and female choices: thinking males and females are coldly conscious when making mating decisions; that sex differences are “natural” and should be promoted; that the only purpose of sex is reproduction
• Don’t think of these consciously

Question 7

Textbook sex differences

Answer 7

• Verbal ability
• Visual/spatial abilities- better in men than in women, men are more proficient without a map, men are better to throw and catch -Mathematical ability (not really true?)
• Aggression- men are more aggressive physically then women , gossip, social and chatting men and women are almost identical in these forms of aggression
• Overt vs. covert (very small difference)

Question 8

Other possible sex differences:

Answer 8

• Activity level - Boys have a higher activity level
• Fear, timidity and risk taking- girls are more cautious, boys are lacking fear
• Developmental vulnerability – boys are more susceptible, higher dyslexia in boys than girls
• Emotional expressivity/sensitivity- boys tend to be less sentimental
• Compliance- willing to work with others in a structure of rules

Question 9

Factors influencing pubertal timing

Answer 9

• Increased health and nutrition appear to be the largest contributors to trend for puberty to begin at lower ages
• Menarche delayed by low levels of nutrition (as is menstruation)
• Adult height permanently stunted by poor nutrition
• Environment manipulation a biological system

Question 10

Adolescence, puberty and sexual development

Answer 10

• Aspects of rearing environment can affect girls’ reproductive strategy
• Girls’ rate of pubertal maturation affected by:
  • Socioemotional stress
  • Maternal relationship
  • Father absence and relationship quality with father
• Early maturing girls experience more emotional problems and behavioural problems relative to other girls

Question 11

Adolescence, puberty and sexual development

Answer 11

• Early maturing boys experience positive and negative outcomes of their development
• Longitudinal research suggests that late maturing boys may benefit from having additional time to develop social and intellectual skills
• The development of gender identity and cognition
• Gender operates at the macrosystem level; identity involves four dimensions- at the cultural level
• Gender is highly informed by the culture norms Knowledge of membership in gender category - Gender typicality- what’s the expected behaviour of men vs women
• Pressure for gender conformity- how strongly are gender norms reinforced

Question 12

The development of sexual orientation

Answer 12

• A Biosocial Perspective of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity- looks at the combination of nature and nurture
• Prenatal and adolescent hormones, in addition to experiences during childhood, determine one’s sexual identity (Congenital adrenal hyperplasia - CAH)- ex that shows the strong influence of hormones
• Erotic orientation is not determined at puberty but sex hormones (DHEA and testosterone) produced at puberty assist in the activation of that content
• DHEA is what changes your attractions and initiates usually a few years before puberty

Question 13

Homosexuality (male)

Answer 13

• Possible life strategy (Fafifene; sisters)- gay men who tend to cross dress and act like women, tend to invest a lot in their sister’s children
• Possible by-product of maternal immune system
• More biological older brothers- sexualizing characteristics
• Disruption of 2nd trimester masculinization -15% of the reason for homosexuality

Question 14

Asexuality

Answer 14

• Roughly .5-1 % of adult population reports asexuality (no feelings of sexual attraction; romantic feelings may exist)
• More common amongst women, shorter individuals, delayed menarche, minorities, religiosity, and individual lower education; suggesting both biological and environmental routes

Question 15

Boys vs. Girls sexual preferences

Answer 15

• Compared to women, men report a greater preference for:
  
  • More partners
  • Different partners
  • Greater arousal by physical stimulus
• Men also report a higher frequency of thoughts about sex and sexual urges (causal sex)