Deck 14: Sex Differences and Similarities,gender-Role Development,and Sexual Behavior

Question 1

On the average,on which tests of cognitive ability do females perform better than males?

A) short-term memory
B) verbal skills
C) visual-spatial
D) mathematical

Answer 1

verbal skills

Question 2

Which sex is more physically vulnerable to injury,disability,or disease during development?

A) females, at all ages
B) males, at all ages
C) males after the age of 10
D) females after the age of 2

Answer 2

males, at all ages

Question 3

On the average,on which tests of cognitive ability do males tend to perform better than females?

A) short-term memory
B) verbal skills
C) visual-spatial
D) perceptual speed

Answer 3

visual-spatial

Question 4

Based on the findings of Barry and colleagues' classic cross-cultural research,which of the following qualities were valued most for females?

A) obedience and self-reliance
B) nurturance and obedience
C) nurturance and achievement
D) self-reliance and achievement

Question 5

Suppose that your provincial government has decided to introduce standardized assessment tests for all students in Grade 5.The test has separate sections for Math and Language Arts.Based on your knowledge of average sex differences in cognitive abilities,how would you expect students to score on each section of the test?

A) Males will score higher than females on both sections.
B) Females will score higher than males on both sections.
C) Female students will score higher than males on the Language Arts section.
D) Females will score higher than males on the Math section of the test.

Question 6

Based on the findings of Barry and colleagues' classic cross-cultural research,which of the following qualities were valued most for males?

A) achievement and self-reliance
B) nurturance and obedience
C) obedience and responsibility
D) nurturance and achievement

Question 7

Which of the following conclusions regarding sex differences in behaviour has received the most consistent research support?

A) Girls have lower levels of achievement motivation than boys.
B) Girls are better at simple analytical tasks, whereas boys excel at tasks requiring higher-level processing.
C) Boys are more analytic than girls regardless of task.
D) Boys perform consistently higher than girls on tests of mathematical reasoning.

Question 8

As compared with girls,what is thought to account for boys' increased interest and participation in rough-and-tumble play?

A) It is a nonverbal compensatory response to their lower verbal abilities.
B) It is a concrete expression of superior motor skills.
C) It is supported by their higher level of physical activity.
D) It is based on superiority in visual imagery manipulation.

Question 9

Which of the following best summarizes the research findings regarding the development of sex-role standards of behaviour?

A) The first priority in most cultures is to socialize males and females to display distinctive, gender-appropriate behaviours.
B) Males and females are socialized to show the same characteristics, but some are stressed more for one gender than the other.
C) Males and females show different attributes despite similar socialization.
D) Gender socialization in males and females differs markedly between cultures.

Question 10

A group of male and female children are asked the following question: "How many capital letters of the alphabet have a flat straight line?" Based upon average sex differences in performance,what would be the sex of the highest-scoring student?

A) female, because of superior visual imagery skills
B) female, because of superior computational skills
C) male, because of superior visual imagery skills
D) male, because of superior language skills

Question 11

Suppose that your local school board recently asked that the Differential Aptitude Test be administered to all Grade 5 students.The board is particularly interested in the scores from the spatial relations and abstract reasoning sections.Based on your knowledge of average sex differences in cognitive abilities,how would you expect students to score?

A) Males will score higher than females on both sections.
B) Males will score higher than females on the spatial relations section.
C) Females will score higher than males on both sections.
D) Females will score higher than males on the abstract reasoning section.

Question 12

What is the term for the gender-role standard that men should be dominant,independent,assertive,competitive,and goal oriented?

A) macho
B) expressive
C) instrumental
D) assertiveness

Question 13

If children are pressured to adopt an instrumental personality style,which traits are likely to be valued in their culture's gender-role standard for success?

A) responsibility, obedience, achievement, and sensitivity
B) dominance, assertiveness, independence, and competitiveness
C) kindness, independence, assertiveness, and cooperation
D) kindness, nurturance, cooperation, and sensitivity

Question 14

What is the term for the gender-role standard that women ought to be socially sensitive,nurturing,kind and cooperative?

A) permissive
B) expressive
C) compassionate
D) instrumental

Question 15

If children are pressured to adopt an expressive style of personality,what traits are likely to be valued in their culture's gender-role standard for success?

A) responsibility, obedience, achievement, and sensitivity
B) dominance, assertiveness, independence, and competitiveness
C) kindness, independence, assertiveness, and cooperation
D) kindness, nurturance, cooperation, and sensitivity

Question 16

Which of the following best exemplifies the traits that define an expressive style of gender roles?

A) responsibility, obedience, achievement, and sensitivity
B) dominance, assertiveness, independence, and competitiveness
C) kindness, nurturance, assertiveness, and independence
D) kindness, nurturance, cooperation, and sensitivity

Question 17

For which of the following traits is the difference between the sexes largest?

A) overt aggression
B) mathematical reasoning
C) visual-spatial abilities
D) verbal abilities

Question 18

We often assume that boys will act more aggressively than girls in both play and conflict situations.Given the research findings,of Maccoby and Jacklin and others,is this assumption valid?

A) yes, when the measures are based on physical aggression.
B) no, because few sex differences have been found in this area
C) no, because girls are more aggressive than boys when verbal aggression is assessed
D) partially, because the data have been inconsistent

Question 19

Based on current research,what factor has been found to play the strongest role in the development of gender-role standards?

A) environmental effects on prenatal sex differentiation
B) biologically based limitations to maturation in both sexes
C) specific cultural views of behaviours deemed appropriate for each sex
D) societal expectations of sexuality in adolescence

Question 20

What is the term for the process whereby a child learns about gender and culturally appropriate behaviours for girls and boys?

A) gender intensification
B) gender titling
C) gender inquiry
D) gender typing

Question 21

Several studies have shown that individuals tend to judge girls as being less competent than boys in areas such as mathematics.During which of the following developmental phases does this judgment typically begin?

A) at the end of toddlerhood
B) by the preschool and early elementary years
C) by the middle school years
D) only after the high school years

Question 22

What do psychologists mean when they state that males and females differ on a particular trait?

A) All males differ from all females on the trait.
B) Most males differ from most females on the trait.
C) A few males differ from a few females on the trait.
D) The average male differs from the average female on the trait.

Question 23

According to research evidence,which of the following characteristics would 3- to 5-year-old children typically use to distinguish men and women?

A) body shape
B) sex-typed activities
C) clothing and hairstyle
D) individual body parts

Question 24

Bob is just starting his first permanent job as a math teacher for a split Grade 5/Grade 6 class.If Bob's attitude toward sex differences in performance reflects that of the average teacher,what performance will he expect of the boys and girls in his class?

A) The boys will work harder and the girls will demonstrate greater ability.
B) The boys will use acquired skills and the girls will use innate skills.
C) The boys will have greater ability and the girls will work harder.
D) The boys will work to impress others and the girls will work to satisfy themselves.

Question 25

At about what age do children first understand that gender identity is an unchanging attribute?

A) 12 months
B) 2 years
C) 5 years
D) 7 years

Question 26

Which sex is less physically vulnerable to injury,disability,or disease during development?

A) females, at all ages
B) males, at all ages
C) males before the age of 2
D) females after the age of 10

Question 27

Based on current research findings regarding the evaluation of accomplishments of males and females,which of the following conclusions has received the most support?

A) Both males and females are likely to undervalue the accomplishments of females.
B) People view females as more competent when reminded of the increasing number of women in high-status professions.
C) Females are more likely to undervalue the accomplishments of other females than are males.
D) There are no consistent data that the accomplishments of both sexes are devalued until mid-adolescence.

Question 28

Which of the following best describes the typical understanding of gender exhibited by children who are 2 1/2 to 3 years of age?

A) They can accurately label themselves as either boys or girls.
B) They are still confused about whether they are boys or girls.
C) They can accurately classify others as to their sex.
D) They do not reliably label themselves as either a boy or a girl.

Question 29

According to most developmentalists,what is the major caveat regarding the interpretation of the research findings of sex differences in behaviour?

A) The data are indicative of group differences and not how an individual may behave.
B) The majority of the data reflect the performance of white, middle-class children and are not representative of the general population.
C) It is rare for data to be collected in naturalistic settings.
D) There is wide variation between studies in how the dependent variables have been operationalized.

Question 30

When do children first begin to show some awareness of gender-role stereotypes?

A) by the end of the first year
B) about the time they can accurately label themselves as either a boy or a girl
C) about the time they recognize sex is an unchanging attribute
D) after they enter a formal school environment

Question 31

Kelsey is an elementary teacher who likes to use anecdotes in her lessons.If she wants to help her students to understand the research data regarding sex differences in academics,what should Kelsey incorporate into her story?

A) a comparison of two children who perform at an average level of achievement
B) a comparison of children at the extreme top or bottom of the grade distribution
C) a comparison of two children when they are given easy problem-solving tasks
D) a comparison of group performance on several different tasks

Question 32

Based on current research findings,when do children begin to demonstrate knowledge of gender-role stereotypes?

A) between 1 1/2 and 2 years
B) between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 years
C) between 4 and 5 years
D) between 7 and 8 years

Question 33

Which of the following statements best summarizes the research evidence regarding the magnitude of sex differences?

A) Sex differences are quite substantial on most measures of children's abilities.
B) Sex accounts for almost 50 percent of the variation in children's academic abilities.
C) Sex accounts for 50 percent of children's ability in math, but only 5 percent of the difference in their verbal abilities.
D) Sex differences are typically quite small, and the abilities of males and females usually overlap.

Question 34

High levels of which traits have been found more often in boys than in girls?

A) activity
B) emotional expressivity
C) social interest
D) suggestibility

Question 35

Darnell proudly tells you that he is a "big boy." When you show him a dress and ask him if he would like to try it on,however,he becomes upset and tells you: "No! I don't want to be a girl; I want to stay a boy." Based on Darnell's response,approximately how old is he?

A) 18 months
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) 7 years

Question 36

Which of the following attributes characterizes children who perform well on general tasks that require the labelling of stimuli as male or female?

A) They are skeptical of gender-typed information.
B) They know less about gender-role stereotypes.
C) They are more aware of the androgynous gender role.
D) They know more about gender-role stereotypes.

Question 37

Why do false stereotypes about gender persist despite contrary evidence?

A) They stabilize one's gender consistencies.
B) They organize and distort information in memory.
C) They destabilize one's gender consistencies.
D) They weaken one's confidence in gender-role standards.

Question 38

Evelyn has decided to become a lawyer.If her experience is consistent with societal trends,what can she expect of her experience if she is accepted into law school?

A) She will be one of only a very small number of women in her class.
B) She will be just one of many women in her class.
C) She will have troubles adjusting to her all-male class.
D) She will be isolated and treated poorly by most of her professors who are not used to women in their classes.

Question 39

Six-year-old Sam is visiting his friend Lily's house for dinner.They are greeted at the door by her father and he tells them that dinner is almost ready.Lily's mother arrives home from work a few minutes later and helps the children set the table.Later that night when Sam's mother asks him about his evening,he incorrectly reports that Lily's mother cooked the meal.Are such distortions of gendered recall common?

A) no, because children correctly recall a "memory script" when it deviates from their expectations
B) no, because 6-year-olds are usually accurate in their recall of autobiographical events
C) yes, because children often make recall errors when the situation is inconsistent with their expectations
D) yes, because 6-year-olds do not yet have a schema for gender-appropriate behaviours

Question 40

Which of the following observations regarding sex differences has received the most support from research evidence?

A) Boys are more analytical than girls.
B) Girls are more sociable than boys.
C) Girls are more suggestible than boys.
D) Boys take more risks than girls.

Question 41

Jonas is a 4-year-old boy who likes to play with female action figures.He makes up stories and then pretends that the figures act out the parts.Jonas' father gets angry and tells Jonas to play with male superheroes and stop being such a girl.Is his father's reaction to Jonas's gender-inconsistent behaviour typical?

A) It is usual, because fathers often get upset when their sons show cross gender behaviours.
B) It is very unusual, because most fathers don't care too much about what toys their children play with until they are at least 5 years old.
C) It is more typical of a mother's response than a father's response, because mothers get more upset at their sons' gender-inconsistent behaviour than fathers do.
D) It is surprising today, although it would have been typical 20 years ago.

Question 42

Four-year-old Larry likes to play with his cousin's dolls.Which of Larry's family members would be most concerned with his behaviour?

A) his mother
B) his father
C) his sister
D) his brother

Question 43

Which of the following best summarizes the research findings of Whiting and Edwards' cross-cultural studies of children's preferences for same-sex playmates?

A) Most cultures do not show marked same-sex playmate preferences.
B) Same-sex playmate preference is common, but only in early childhood.
C) Same-sex preference is common and intensifies with maturation.
D) The degree of same-sex playmate preference fluctuates randomly between cultures.

Question 44

Even though genes determine our biological sex and may have some influence on the outcome of gender typing,what percent of the variability in people's masculine and feminine self-concepts is attributable to environmental influences?

A) approximately 10 percent
B) approximately 25 percent
C) at least 50 percent
D) more than 75 percent

Question 45

Suppose you are interviewing Melody about her views of women and men.She tells you,"Women are nice and men are mean." Based on her description,how old is Melody likely to be?

A) not yet 2 years of age
B) between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 years of age
C) between 5 and 7 years of age
D) between 11 and 12 years of age

Question 46

Fernando and his mother are waiting in a doctor's office where there is a play area containing several toys including a small truck and a large stuffed bear.Based upon research evidence,if Fernando is 18 months old,will he choose the truck or the bear?

A) He will choose the truck, because he will perceive it as a "boy's" toy.
B) He will choose the stuffed bear, because it is bigger than the truck.
C) He will choose to play with both toys, because they are novel.
D) He will choose the stuffed bear, because it is a cross-sex toy.

Question 47

During which developmental phase are sex differences in play patterns and preferences for same-sex peers first observed?

A) when children are in the toddler years
B) when children are in the early preschool years
C) when children start attending elementary school
D) when children enter the late elementary-school years

Question 48

Suppose a friend told you about an individual born with female external anatomy who was actually a genetic male.Is this developmental outcome possible,and if so,why would it occur?

A) no, because the presence of a XY chromosomal pattern is the critical factor determining differentiation of male genitalia
B) no, because female external anatomy requires production of the female hormone estrogen
C) yes, because production of the female hormone estrogen can override the XY genetic pattern
D) yes, because rare individuals are insensitive to testosterone, which is needed to override differentiation as a female

Question 49

What form will the external genitalia take when a child develops in the absence of sex hormones during the prenatal period?

A) male
B) female
C) intermediate
D) undifferentiated

Question 50

Several behavioural genetic studies of self-concept have been conducted using adolescent twin pairs.Based on the results of these studies,what percentage of the variability in children's self-concepts does genotype account for?

A) about 50 percent of the variability in their masculine self-concepts
B) about 50 percent of the variability in their feminine self-concepts
C) between 15 and 35 percent of the variability in their feminine self-concepts
D) between 0 to 20 percent of the variability in their masculine self-concepts

Question 51

Which of the following best describes the research evidence regarding the degree of pressure children experience to conform to gender-appropriate behaviours?

A) Boys experience greater pressure to conform.
B) Girls experience greater pressure to conform.
C) The pressure to conform is relatively equal for both sexes.
D) The pressure to conform is minimal for both sexes in most cultures.

Question 52

During which phase of development do children tend to be most tolerant of cross-sex behaviours?

A) infancy and toddlerhood
B) infancy and early adolescence
C) the preschool years and early adolescence
D) the preschool years and late adolescence

Question 53

What does the term "cross-sex toys" refer to?

A) those that help the child to resolve the Oedipus/Electra complex
B) those that are especially sought by gender-intensified teenagers
C) those that are stereotypically appropriate for the other gender
D) those that induce the child to doubt his or her own gender identity

Question 54

Pat's genotype is XY,but at birth his parents decided that Pat's genitals looked more female than male.They then changed his name to Patricia and raised him as a girl.Which of the following influences on Pat's gender development would result from the events Pat experienced after his birth?

A) nonsocial postnatal
B) genetic
C) nongenetic prenatal
D) social

Question 55

Serbin and her colleagues have found that grade-school children draw sharp distinctions between the sexes on the basis of psychological traits.What traits do they appear to learn first?

A) positive traits that characterize their own gender and negative traits associated with the other gender
B) positive traits associated with both genders
C) negative traits that characterize their own gender and positive traits associated with the other gender
D) negative traits associated with both genders

Question 56

Of the following,which children are most likely to become interested in cross-sex activities,toys,and games?

A) females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
B) males with testicular feminization
C) typical males
D) typical females

Question 57

Part of the gender intensification process is an increased pressure to conform to gender roles.When is this pressure most intense?

A) in late childhood before puberty
B) during and just after puberty
C) in late adolescence
D) during the early adult years

Question 58

Suppose you are interviewing 8-year-old Steven about his views of men and women.He tells you,"Men are mean and women are nice." Is Steven's description of men and women typical for his age?

A) no, because most children do not use psychological dimensions to make gender distinctions between the two sexes
B) yes, because most children first learn the negative traits that are associated with their own gender
C) yes, because most children use psychological dimensions to make distinctions between the two sexes as soon as they acquire the boy-girl gender distinction
D) no, because most children typically first learn the positive traits that characterize their own gender

Question 59

Which of the following would be the most likely outcome if a child suffers from congenital adrenal hyperplasia?

A) The onset of puberty will be delayed in both males and females.
B) Feminization of both genetic males and females will occur during the prenatal period.
C) The onset of puberty will be advanced in both males and females.
D) Masculinization of both genetic males and females will occur during the prenatal period.

Question 60

According to Money and Ehrhardt's biosocial theory of gender-role development,how is one's gender role determined?

A) Biological forces and social influences interact.
B) Biological forces are the key determinant for males, and social influences are the key determinant for females.
C) Biological influences are the primary force, but social influences have a minor role.
D) Social influences are the primary force, but biological influences have a minor role.

Question 61

According to Kohlberg's cognitive-developmental theory,at which stage of sex typing does a girl first recognize that she can never become a father?

A) gender stability
B) basic gender identity
C) gender consistency
D) gender intensification

Question 62

According to cognitive-developmental theories of gender-role development,what does self-socialization include?

A) reinforcement for gender-appropriate behaviours
B) valuing characteristics associated with the opposite gender
C) actively seeking out same-sex models
D) responding to sex-specific praise from parents

Question 63

Which statement best characterizes the stage of gender consistency?

A) Children recognize that boys invariably become men and girls grow up to be women.
B) Children recognize that one's gender cannot be altered by cross-dressing or taking up cross-sex activities.
C) Children first show evidence of identifying with the same-sex parent.
D) Children begin to consistently label themselves as boys or girls.

Question 64

Which theory emphasizes the role of selective information gathering and recall in the development of gender-appropriate behaviours and preferences?

A) biosocial
B) cognitive developmental
C) psychoanalytic
D) gender schema

Question 65

According to social learning theory,what is thought to play the strongest role in the acquisition of gender-role preferences in toddlers and preschool children?

A) differential reinforcement of spontaneous behaviours
B) positive reinforcement for correct behaviours
C) imitation of same-sex peer models
D) direct tuition by siblings

Question 66

Have the data gathered from cross-cultural research studies supported Kohlberg's stages of gender identity formation?

A) partially, as some cultures have more stages and some have fewer stages than were identified by Kohlberg
B) no, the sequence of the stages he outlined is highly variable and children often follow a different sequence or skip at least one of the stages
C) partially, as his stages accurately describe the formation of gender identity in males, but not in females
D) yes, his three stages of gender identity seem to be relatively universal

Question 67

Suppose that a child was shown videos of activities labelled as sex-appropriate or sex-inappropriate.According to research findings,how will this labelling affect the children's recall of the activities?

A) They will recall more sex-inappropriate activities because they attend more to input that is inconsistent with their gender schemas.
B) They will recall more about the sex-appropriate activities because they attend more to input that is consistent with their gender schemas.
C) The labels will have little influence on children's recall if they have been raised in an egalitarian family.
D) Labelling will interfere with children's recall of information about both types of activities due to performance stress to remember the correct items.

Question 68

Which statement best summarizes the research evidence regarding the influence of the media on stereotyped sex roles?

A) Boys are more influenced by media portrayals of both men and women.
B) Both boys and girls are influenced by media portrayals of both men and women.
C) Girls are more influenced by viewing media portrayals of men.
D) Both boys and girls are influenced more by media portrayals of women.

Question 69

What conclusion regarding gender-role development has been supported by data from case studies of persons with atypical genital development?

A) It is predestined by biology.
B) It arises from social influences.
C) It requires a combined biological/social explanation.
D) It is a canalized maturational trait.

Question 70

Several researchers have reported that children show strong sex-role preferences and sex-typed behaviours long before they realize that gender is an unchanging attribute.Which theory of sex typing best explains these findings?

A) biosocial
B) social learning
C) cognitive developmental
D) gender schema

Question 71

Which statement best characterizes the stage of basic gender identity?

A) Children recognize that boys invariably become men and girls grow up to be women.
B) Children first show evidence of identifying with the same-sex parent.
C) Children recognize that one's gender cannot be altered by cross-dressing or taking up cross-sex activities.
D) Children begin to consistently label themselves as boys or girls.

Question 72

According to Freud,through what process does sex typing occur?

A) identification
B) intensification
C) observational learning
D) parental rejection

Question 73

Which of the following best expresses Diane Halpern's psychobiosocial viewpoint on the development of gender roles?

A) The effects of biology and the environment must be separated if we are to fully understand the development of gender roles.
B) Adaptive evolutionary processes that predispose males and females to take on different social roles cause sex differences in most psychological traits.
C) Differential exposure to spatial or verbal experiences during the first year of life results in sex differences in cognitive abilities.
D) Prenatal exposure to male or female hormones influences the organization of male and female brains.

Question 74

Money and Ehrhardt claim that both biological and social factors contribute to sex differences in gender-role development.Does research evidence provide support for this theory?

A) It provides strong support for a role of biological factors as major contributors.
B) It provides weak support for a role of social factors as major contributors.
C) It provides strong support for both biological and social factors as major contributors.
D) It provides almost no support for the idea that either biological factors or social factors influence gender-role development.

Question 75

Which aspect of Kohlberg's cognitive-developmental theory of sex typing has NOT received support?

A) A mature understanding of gender is necessary for sex typing.
B) An understanding of gender is related to cognitive development.
C) There are stages of gender concept development.
D) Children with more mature gender concepts tend to seek out same-sex models.

Question 76

According to Kohlberg,what do children have to acquire before they can engage in self-socialization of gender?

A) stability
B) intensification
C) consistency
D) identity

Question 77

According to Kohlberg,what is the first step in the development of gender typing?

A) establishment of a mature gender identity
B) seeking out and attending to same-sex models
C) an obvious preference for sex-appropriate activities and toys
D) differential attention from same-sex social models

Question 78

Suppose your friend's son tells you,"When I grow up I am going to be a man." His statement exemplifies which of Kohlberg's stages of gender development?

A) stability
B) identity
C) intensification
D) consistency

Question 79

The fact that transsexual individuals undergo sex reassignment surgery contradicts which of Kohlberg's stages of gender development?

A) intensification
B) constancy
C) stability
D) role schematic

Question 80

Bradbard et al.found that 4- to 9-year-old children remembered more about objects that they believed to be sex-appropriate than those that they believed to be appropriate for the opposite sex.Which theory of sex typing does this finding support?

A) biosocial
B) social learning
C) gender schema
D) psychobiosocial