Unit Three
Gender Development &
Behavior
How Gender Developed?
• It is a process of identifying oneself being male or
female.
• It developed through either hereditary influences
(nature) or environmental influences (nurture)
• There are different approaches that emphasize
gender development;
Biological Approach
• According to biological theory differences in
chromosomes (X/Y) and hormones
(testosterone/estrogen) determine the behavioral
differences between boys and girls.
• Androgen hormones are linked to disruptive and
aggressive behaviors in males.
• Estrogen hormone seem to make women less
vulnerable to physical problems so women live
longer.
Behavioral Approach
• According to this approach all behavior and
personality is a result of learning.
• Where the biological approach emphasizes “nature”,
the behavioral approach stresses upon “nurture”.
• Learning of gender roles can be explained in terms of
a result of:
Classical conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Learning by observation
Cognitive Approach
• The approach that focuses upon the thought
processes underlying learning.
• The approach that gives importance to cognition
when understanding and explaining behavior.
• The theory proposes the interaction of mental
schema and social experience in directing gender
role behavior.
• The cognitive approach focuses upon the child’s
“understanding”.
Psychodynamic Approach
• Gender roles develop as a result of resolution
process of conflict at phallic stage.
• This gender identification leads to sex-typed
behavior and development of gender roles.
• Absence of a parent, particularly, the same-sex
parent affects the normal process of gender
development.
Humanistic Approach
• Ideal self and conditional positive regard are the
main concepts in this regard.
• In the process of gender development conditional
positive regard can be seen as a set of expectations
for gender roles, and ideal self can be understood
as gender appropriate behavior
Development of Gender Role
Identification
• The process of the development of gender role
identification involves three aspects:
1. Gender Role Preference
2. Gender Role Adoption
3. Gender Role identification
1. Gender Role Preference
• It is the perception that the role of one sex is more
desirable in comparison to the other.
• This preference begins at around 3 years of age
and is quite firm and established by 5 years of age.
• This preference is commonly manifested in
children’s preference for toys considered to be
associated with the sex of the ones going to play
with them; toys are seen as “boys’ toys” and “girls’
toys”.
2. Gender Role Adoption
• In this aspect children adopt observable, sex-related
behaviors performed by members of their own sex.
• There are difference in gender role adoption by boys
and girls.
• In case of girls, gender role adoption and gender
role identification develops simultaneously with
gender role identification.
• For boys the processes follow a sequence.
3. Gender Role identification
• It incorporates the response characteristics of a
gender role into one’s personality.
• In early childhood both boys and girls are closely
attached to the mother, but development of gender
identity requires boys to detach from the existing
behavioral pattern.
Gender Differences in Personality
• Men and women have been found to be different on
a number of dimensions of personality.
• On some characteristics male score higher and on
some females.
• In case of some traits stereotypically thought to be
female traits, men score higher e.g. in case of
talkativeness.
Gender and Aggression
• Even in children 2 years of age, boys display more
aggression than girls and this tendency persist
throughout the life span.
• When compared in terms of their reaction to their
own aggression, women feel more anxiety and guilt
over their aggression.
• Physical aggression is much more common in boys,
than in girls.
• Relational aggression or social aggression is
considered more hurtful than physical aggression, in
older children, especially girls.
Gender Differences in
Communication
• Gender differences are found in non-verbal as well
as verbal communication styles.
• The nature of the content of speech used by women
in different from that used by men.
• Women use a more speech pattern.
• Women have tendency to add tags at the end of an
opinion instead of a straight opinion statement.
Gender, Affiliation and Friendship
• Some gender differences have been found in
affiliation and friendship patterns.
• As compared to women, men included more
females in their social network.
• The exchange of informational and emotional
support with friends was higher in females.
Gender and Altruism
• Altruism is “a special form of helping behavior that
is voluntary, costly, and motivated by a desire to
improve another person’s welfare, rather than by the
anticipation of reward”
• Women are more likely to provide help and
emotional support in connection with their
traditional role as nurturers.
• However in situations involving dangerous
emergencies, men are more likely to intervene.
Cognitive Abilities and Gender
• It is stereotypically believed that men and women
are intellectually very different.
• Men are thought to be more intelligent, and capable
of wise and quick decision making.
• Women, it is thought, are overwhelmed by their
emotion, rather than logic or intellect.
• Even when a man and a woman have the same I.Q
level, the man is considered to be more reliable for
entrusting a job involving responsibility.
Gender and Health
• “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and
social well-being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity”.
• Although the health and well-being of both gender is
important, females’ health needs to be given more
attention because of various reasons:
The responsibility of reproduction
Risk of Disease
Females’ Domestic Responsibilities
