Adolescent Exam Chapter 5
According to your textbook, parents influence their adolescents' gender behaviors by action and by example. Explain each of these, using research to support your answer. Give examples.
-Boys are given more independence than girls, and concern about girls' sexual vulnerability may cause parents to monitor their behavior more closely. -Families with young adolescent daughters indicate that they experience more intense conflict about sex, choice of friends, and curfews than do families with young adolescent sons. -Parents may have different achievement expectations; many parents believe math is more important to their sons' futures than to their daughters. -Mothers spend more time with their children, fathers spend more time with their sons. -Mothers' socialization strategies: Mother socialize their daughters to be more obedient and responsible than their sons. They also place restriction on daughters' autonomy. -Fathers' socialization strategies. Fathers show more attention to sons than daughters, engage in more activities with sons, and put forth more effort to promote sons' intellectual development. -The social cognitive theory of gender emphasizes that gender is influenced by observation, imitation, and rewards and punishments. Through observing parents and other adults, as well as peers, at home, at school, in the neighborhood, and in the media, adolescents are exposed to a myriad of models that display masculine and feminine behavior.
How does the book talk about gender controversy? What is the problem, what are each of the viewpoints, and what research is there to support those viewpoints? Be sure to read the Hyde paper, as it is referenced in this section.
-David Buss argues that gender differences are extensive and caused by the adaptive problems they have faced across their evolutionary history. -Alice Eagly emphasizes that gender differences are due to social conditions that have resulted in women having less power and controlling fewer resources than men. -Hyde concludes that gender differences have been greatly exaggerated. She argues that the research shows that females and males are similar on most psychological factors -In most areas gender differences either were nonexistent or small, including math ability and communication. The largest difference occurred on motor skills, followed by sexuality
Describe several of the cognitive similarities and differences between the genders that are supported by research. Be sure to cite that research. (Pay attention to whether the research you are citing is older or newer - this matters!)
-Girls shows better self-control (controlling impulses and focusing attention) than boys -A large study revealed no differences in math scores for boys and girls and no gender differences in math scores for adolescents -Boys have better visuospatial skills than girls do -Girls scored higher in reading and writing but there were no gender differences in math scores at the fourth and eighth grade levels
What is Gilligan's argument that adolescence is a critical juncture for girls, what evidence does she cite, and what are the main criticisms of her theory?
-In early adolescents, Gilligan says girls become aware that the male-dominated culture doesn't value females interest in intimacy, even though society values women's caring altruism -Girls are presented with a choice that makes them appear selfish (they become independent) or selfless (they remain responsive to others). -As girls struggle with this choice, they begin to silence their voice and become less confident and more less outspoken -Eleanor Maccoby says Gilligan exaggerates the differences in intimacy and connectedness between males and females. -Other critics fault Gilligans research strategy (lacks comparison group and statistical analysis), and fear that Gilligans findings reinforce stereotypes
Describe several of the actual gender differences in aggression and communication. (remember to base your answers on research presented in your text).
Boys are consistently more physically aggressive than girls, girls might show as much or more verbal aggression. Mixed findings have characterized research on whether girls show more relational aggression than boys, but one consistency in findings is that relational aggression comprises a greater percentage of girls' overall aggression than is the case for boys
What are the characteristics of androgynous men and women?
Masculine items: defends open beliefs, forceful, willing to take risks, dominant, aggressive Feminine items: Does not use harsh language, affectionate, loves children, understanding, gentle
Define psychological androgyny. What are the four classifications, according the Bem Sex-Role Inventory? What are the characteristics of androgynous men and women? How is gender transcendence different?
Psychological Androgyny: The presence of a high degree of desirable feminine and masculine characteristics in the same individual Classifications: -The Androgynous individual is simply a female or a male who has a high degree of both feminine and masculine traits. No new characteristics are used to describe the androgynous individual -A feminine individual is high on feminine traits and low on masculine traits--A masculine individual is high on instrumental traits and low on expressive traits -An undifferentiated person is low on both feminine and masculine traits Characteristics: -Masculine items: defends open beliefs, forceful, willing to take risks, dominant, aggressive -Feminine items: Does not use harsh language, affectionate, loves children, understanding, gentle Gender Transcendence: Belief that when an individual's competence is at issue, it should be conceptualized not on the basis of masculinity, femininity or androgyny but, rather, on a person basis. Think about ourselves as people, not as masculine, feminine, or androgynous.
Describe two categories of mass media and how they each influence adolescents' gender behaviors, using research to support your answer. Give examples. [BTW, questions 1-3 could be combined to make an essay question].
TV shows and Music directed at adolescents are highly stereotyped in their portrayal of sexes; -Teenage girls were portrayed as being concerned primarily with dating, shopping and their appearance -Girls rarely were shown as being interested in school or career plans. Attractive girls were often stereotyped as "airheads" and intelligent girls as unattractive" --Music Videos. What adolescents see on MTV and some other TV shows is highly stereotyped and slanted toward a male audience. A recent study of MTV videos reinforced stereotypical notions of women as sexual objects and females as subordinate to males. Male characters are portrayed more often than female characters as aggressive, dominant, competent, autonomous, and active, whereas female characters are more often portrayed as passive. -A recent review proposed that the interactive format and content features of social media, such as strong peer pressure and exchange of various visual images may have a strong influence on adolescents body images especially girls body dissatisfaction and eating disorders
Describe how gender schema theory explains gender behavior. Give an example.
Theory stating that an individual's attention and behavior are guided by an internal motivation to conform to gender-based sociocultural standards and stereotypes. Finding what is gender-appropriate and gender-inappropriate in their culture and develop gender schemas that shape how they perceive the world and what they remember. Through biological, social, and cognitive processes, children develop their gender attitudes and behaviors .For example, women should be caregivers and stay at home. Men should be providers and work
Describe two ways that schools and teachers influence adolescents' gender behaviors, using research to support your answer. Give examples.
There is evidence of gender bias against both males and females: -A large majority of teachers are females, especially in the elementary school. This trend may make it more difficult for boys than for girls to identify with their teachers and model their teachers' behavior. -Compliance, following rules, and being neat and orderly are valued in classrooms. these behaviors are characterized by girls more than boys. -Teachers are more likely to scold and reprimand boys, as well as send boys to school authorities for disciplinary action. -Educators worry that girls' tendency to be compliant and quiet comes at a cost: diminished assertiveness.
psychological androgyny: What are the four classifications, according the Bem Sex-Role Inventory?
the androgynous individual, feminine individual, male individual, and undifferentiated