Deck 12: Sex Differences and Gender-Role Development

Question 1

In the chapter on sex differences, the term "gender" was used to refer to

A)a person's perception of themselves as male or female.
B)a person's social and cultural identity as male or female.
C)a person's biological identity as male or female.
D)the process of intercourse.

Answer 1

a person's social and cultural identity as male or female.

Question 2

From their review of 1,500 published studies, Maccoby and Jacklin concluded that traditional gender stereotypes are

A)stronger than was previously realized.
B)strong in women other than lesbians.
C)strong in children in authoritative families.
D)mostly unsupported in fact.

Answer 2

mostly unsupported in fact.

Question 3

The traditional principle that women ought to be socially sensitive, nurturant, kind, and cooperative is called

A)fascinating womanhood.
B)the expressive gender-role standard.
C)compassionate conservatism.
D)the Electra complex.

Answer 3

the expressive gender-role standard.

Question 4

In the chapter on sex differences, the term "sex" was used to refer to

A)a person's perception of themselves as male or female.
B)the cultural expectations associated with each gender.
C)a person's biological identity as male or female.
D)the process of intercourse.

Question 5

Which traits were found by a cross-cultural study in 1957 to be encouraged more in girls than in boys, in most countries?

A)Practical problem-solving and self-reliance
B)Self-reliance and obedience
C)Achievement and responsibility
D)Responsibility and nurturance

Question 6

Women tend to ____ than men.

A)live longer
B)be more muscular
C)grow taller
D)weigh heavier

Question 7

Gender-typing pressure is

A)the same in industrial and non-industrial cultures.
B)is high in industrial cultures, but low in non-industrial cultures.
C)is high in non-industrial cultures, but low in industrial cultures.
D)present in both industrial and non-industrial cultures in different ways.

Question 8

Gender ____ is the process by which the child learns about gender and about what is proper for girls vs. boys.

A)intensification
B)absorption
C)inquiry
D)typing

Question 9

Traditionally in America, newborn boys are wrapped in ____, while girls are adorned in _____.

A)black; white
B)green; red
C)blue; pink
D)gray; yellow

Question 10

Jack tells his fellow second-graders that girls cry more than boys do. Jack's statement is of a(n)

A)gender-role standard.
B)androgynous gender role.
C)phallic stage.
D)feminine destiny.

Question 11

In their 1957 study of 110 nonindustrialized societies, Barry, Bacon, and Child found that most societies valued the following qualities in males:

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

Question 12

Women's expressive gender-role standard relates to

A)career women's exaggerated assertiveness.
B)women's role as childbearer.
C)women's insistence that pregnancy and motherhood must match their own career timetable.
D)men's preference for androgyny.

Question 13

A large cross-cultural study in 1957 showed that, in most societies, achievement and self-reliance are encouraged in

A)both boys and girls.
B)boys but not in girls.
C)girls but not in boys.
D)both sexes, when the society approves of homosexuality.

Question 14

Generally, men tend to ____ than women.

A)be physically weaker
B)be shorter
C)be heavier
D)die at an older age

Question 15

Which sentence best describes the conclusion from Maccoby and Jacklin's review of 1,500 sex-difference studies?

A)"Most traditional gender stereotypes are myths."
B)"Biblically stated gender differences are true."
C)"Men are biologically destined to dominate women."
D)"Pushy women are abnormal."

Question 16

Inspection of score distributions for boys vs. girls suggests that most male/female differences in skills

A)are small because the distributions show much overlap.
B)have their origins in superior male genotypes.
C)are strong because the weakest boys are better than the brightest girls.
D)are impossible to determine because boys and girls differ anatomically.

Question 17

Traditionally, girls are encouraged to adopt an ____ gender-role standard.

A)expressive
B)evocative
C)equestrian
D)instrumental

Question 18

Concerning gender-role standards, EXPRESSIVE is to INSTRUMENTAL as ____ is to ____.

A)ADULT :: CHILD
B)HUMAN :: PRIMATE
C)OBLIGATORY :: OPTIONAL
D)FEMININE :: MASCULINE

Question 19

Gender differences have been found consistently in all of the following areas EXCEPT

A)activity level.
B)emotional expressivity.
C)social interest.
D)verbal ability.

Question 20

The traditional notion that men should be dominant, independent, assertive, competitive, and goal-oriented is called the ____ gender-role standard.

A)macho
B)androgynous
C)instrumental
D)castration anxiety

Question 21

As compared with girls, boys' physical activity level

A)is equal at birth but increases at a faster rate.
B)makes them avoid nonaggressive rough-and-tumble play.
C)is higher but only for boys who have sisters at home.
D)is higher at all ages.

Question 22

The gender differences in emotional expressivity may be related to the finding that

A)girls are more sensitive.
B)boys can control their feelings with greater ease.
C)as early as the preschool period, parents talk more with daughters than with sons about emotions.
D)females have deeper emotions.

Question 23

Sex differences in risk-taking in the first year of life may stem, in part, from

A)boys being more courageous than girls.
B)increased testosterone levels in boys.
C)girls being placed in fewer risky situations.
D)boys heightened activity levels.

Question 24

As compared with boys, girls are more nurturant and sensitive

A)in no circumstances; this is an area of gender equality.
B)in self-ratings, but there is gender equality in naturalistic settings.
C)in naturalistic settings, but there is gender equality in self-ratings.
D)generally, regardless of the measurement or setting.

Question 25

Boys show a small edge over girls in global self-esteem. In early adolescence,

A)this difference all but disappears.
B)girls show a greater increase than boys.
C)this sex difference becomes more noticeable.
D)this difference remains about the same.

Question 26

As infants, boys and girls

A)differ noticeably in their displays of emotion.
B)do not differ much in their displays of emotion.
C)differ in displays of anger.
D)have identical temperaments.

Question 27

Although boys are generally superior in mathematical ability, girls outperform boys in

A)math exercises stated as complex word problems.
B)arithmetic reasoning.
C)computational skills.
D)geometry.

Question 28

Gender researchers commonly deal with group averages, which implies that

A)individual characteristics may vary.
B)boys generally have stronger traits than girls.
C)girls' high compliance makes their traits rigid.
D)gender segregation must be opposed.

Question 29

Motorists passing a playground observe rough-and-tumble play. Most likely, the children are

A)boys with testicular feminization syndrome.
B)girls with an unresolved Electra complex.
C)boys.
D)girls.

Question 30

Girls' heightened cautiousness and timidity first become evident by the early age of about

A)five years.
B)three years.
C)one year.
D)one month.

Question 31

Beginning in adolescence, boys show a small but consistent advantage over girls on tests of

A)computational skills.
B)arithmetic reasoning.
C)writing ability.
D)verbal ability.

Question 32

Boys outperform girls on tests of

A)reading abilities.
B)verbal abilities.
C)visual/spatial abilities.
D)emotional reasoning.

Question 33

From conception, boys are _____ physically vulnerable than girls to prenatal and perinatal hazards and to the effects of disease.

A)more
B)less
C)equally
D)It is actually difficult to draw a conclusion from current research

Question 34

Mufiwaa is an elementary teacher who likes to use anecdotes or examples. To illustrate gender boy/girl differences in school work, Mufiwaa should

A)compare two children who perform at a middle level.
B)compare children at the extreme top or bottom of the grade distribution.
C)give an easy assignment so that children get high scores.
D)compare groups; individual comparisons among children are wrong because gender differences appear among groups.

Question 35

As compared with boys, girls' increased compliance with others' requests first becomes noticeable

A)when the girl begins to crawl (age of six months).
B)early in the preschool period.
C)during her elementary school years.
D)if she develops a testicular feminization syndrome.

Question 36

Children are asked, "How many capital letters of the alphabet have a flat straight line?" It is expected that the winner of this question will be a

A)girl because girls have superior computational skills.
B)girl because girls are superior at language skills.
C)boy because boys' aggression intimidates girls.
D)boy because boys are superior at visual imagery skills.

Question 37

As compared with girls, boys' interest and participation in rough-and-tumble play is

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

Question 38

Physical vulnerability to injury, disability, or disease is higher in

A)girls than in boys, at all ages.
B)boys than in girls, at all ages.
C)boys, only after the age of 10 years.
D)girls who suffer from castration anxiety.

Question 39

Generally, with respect to various traits, gender differences between boys and girls are

A)large and becoming stronger each year.
B)small and unlikely to characterize the behavior of any particular individual.
C)small and seen mostly at the distributions' middles.
D)small because of society's androgynous push.

Question 40

Regarding gender differences on aggression,

A)girls are more aggressive than boys.
B)boys are more covertly aggressive than girls.
C)boys and girls do not differ on this dimension.
D)girls are more covertly aggressive, while boys are more overtly aggressive.

Question 41

Women are overrepresented in occupations that

A)reward workers for aggressive ambition.
B)demand mathematical or scientific expertise.
C)are most highly paid, such as business management.
D)require verbal skills.

Question 42

"Boys are made of snips, snails, and puppy dog tails, while girls are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice." This rhyme

A)supports traditional gender-role stereotypes.
B)is irrelevant to traditional gender-role stereotypes.
C)contradicts traditional gender-role stereotypes.
D)supports the principle of psychological androgyny.

Question 43

Evidence cited in the text regarding the influence of parents and teachers in promoting sex-stereotyped attitudes indicates that

A)parents have different expectations and/or respond differently to boys vs. girls.
B)both parents and teachers have different expectations and/or respond differently to boys vs. girls.
C)only teachers have different expectations and/or respond differently to boys vs. girls.
D)neither parents nor teachers have different expectations and/or respond differently to boys vs. girls.

Question 44

Sixth-grade math teachers believe that boys ____ but girls _____.

A)try harder; have greater ability
B)have better acquired skill; have better innate skill
C)have greater ability; try harder
D)work to impress others; work to satisfy themselves

Question 45

Girls first begin to think that their math skills are inferior to boys' math skills by the age of

A)toddlerhood.
B)kindergarten.
C)fifth grade.
D)12th grade.

Question 46

When people believe in a familiar cultural myth, they modify their actions to support the myth. This is called

A)a self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)an Oedipus complex.
C)an instrumental belief.
D)androgynization.

Question 47

A preschooler tells his parents for the first time, "I'm a boy, and I know it!" The boy expresses his gender

A)grammatical morpheme.
B)Electra complex.
C)androgynized femininity.
D)identity.

Question 48

Since 1970, the percentages of women in law, science, or medicine have

A)exceeded the numbers of men in those professions.
B)risen, but not have yet equaled men's numbers in those professions.
C)remained stable.
D)fallen because women are hurt by gender discrimination.

Question 49

Which of these is NOT a common topic of gender-typing research?

A)Maturational development of innate gender differences
B)Development of gender identity
C)Development of gender-role stereotypes
D)Development of gender-typed behaviors

Question 50

The declines typically observed in girls' math/science achievements do not happen when

A)they suffer irreversible harm from the Oedipus complex.
B)the girl's biological femininity is undeveloped.
C)males at home show testicular feminization.
D)the girl's parents reject traditional gender stereotypes.

Question 51

Martin and Halverson evaluated the recall accuracy of five- and six-year-olds regarding an actor's gender. The findings revealed

A)a distortion effect: children made more errors when the actor engaged in cross-sexed activities.
B)an organization effect: the memories were mixed across trials.
C)schema theory: children accommodated new information.
D)that gender does not influence the processing of information.

Question 52

Several influences from within the home reduce girls' math/science performance; which of these is NOT among those influences?

A)Parents expect boys to do better than girls at math.
B)Boys' math success, not girls', is attributed to ability.
C)Girls lose confidence that they have math ability.
D)Genotypes for math/science skills are absent in girls.

Question 53

The principle of the "self-fulfilling prophecy" is that

A)traditional gender roles were approved by God and must be expressed inevitably by the child's behavior.
B)a person's actions can be influenced by the social expectations that are imposed on them.
C)the Oedipus and Electra complexes balance out.
D)gender segregation is a natural consequence of androgyny.

Question 54

Condry and Condry did a video experiment in which students observed while they rated an infant's actions. Results showed that the ratings

A)accurately described the infant's actions.
B)were kinder and gentler when women did the ratings.
C)were biased by whether the infant was labeled as a boy or a girl.
D)became harsh when a vicious guard dog appeared.

Question 55

GENDER DIFFERENCES are to GENDER SIMILARITIES as ____ is to ____.

A)EXPENSIVE :: CHEAP
B)SCARCE :: COMMON
C)PROMISCUOUS :: FAITHFUL
D)CHILDHOOD :: ADOLESCENCE

Question 56

____ is regarded as a boys' subject in schools.

A)Music
B)Art
C)Biology
D)Reading

Question 57

Gender identity refers to the

A)child's resolution of the Oedipus/Electra complex.
B)child's knowledge of his or her own unchanging gender.
C)parent's vocalized preference to have a boy vs. girl.
D)child's cognitive resistance against a parentally imposed androgynous gender role.

Question 58

Which school subject is considered to be a "girls' domain"?

A)Music
B)Mechanical subjects, such as industrial arts
C)Mathematics
D)Sports

Question 59

In Phillip Goldberg's study, participants judged the articles written by male authors to be of higher quality than those written by female authors. This finding implies that

A)gender-role stereotypes are harmless.
B)gender-role stereotypes can create a self-fulfilling prophecy that promotes sex differences in career choice.
C)gender-role stereotypes are accurate.
D)gender-role stereotypes influence writing ability.

Question 60

Gender-role stereotypes are a(n) ____ when children feel compelled to perform the expectations focused on them.

A)self-fulfilling prophecy
B)secondary circular reaction
C)androgynous segregator
D)phallic hyperextension

Question 61

"Cross-sex toys" are those that

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

Question 62

GENDER IDENTITY is to GENDER-ROLE STEREOTYPE as ____ is to ____.

A)ACTION :: SCHEMA
B)INSTRUMENTAL :: EXPRESSIVE
C)SEGREGATION :: INTENSIFICATION
D)SELF :: OTHERS

Question 63

Gender intensification responds to many influences, but the strongest one tends to be

A)peers.
B)siblings.
C)teachers.
D)parents.

Question 64

Sex differences are magnified and taken seriously during early adolescence; this is termed gender

A)reassignment surgery.
B)androgynization.
C)intensification.
D)inflation.

Question 65

Transsexualism means changing one's gender identity. Children think that transsexualism is possible until they reach the age of about

A)three to four years.
B)five to seven years.
C)eight to 10 years.
D)11 to 13 years.

Question 66

Children first begin to show awareness of gender-role stereotypes

A)by their first birthday.
B)about the age when they recognize that sex is an unchanging attribute.
C)after they have entered grade school.
D)at the time when they accurately label themselves as either a boy or a girl.

Question 67

Gender intensification is a predictable experience of

A)the preschool years.
B)the elementary school years.
C)early adolescence.
D)late adolescence.

Question 68

Penelope tells you, "Women are emotional and affectionate, but men are aggressive and cruel." You would surmise that Penelope is

A)a toddler who is not yet two years old.
B)between two and three years old.
C)between five and seven years old.
D)in the fourth or fifth grade (about 10 or 11 years old).

Question 69

Children who do well at labeling males and females tend also to

A)know about gender-role stereotypes.
B)be skeptical about gender-typed information.
C)have parents who promote the androgynous gender role.
D)suffer from congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).

Question 70

Which gender discrimination shows up at the child's youngest age?

A)Understanding that one's gender does not change
B)Correctly identifying men vs. women in pictures
C)Correctly saying parents' labels as "mommy" or "daddy"
D)Intermodal matching male/female voices with faces

Question 71

Children in a daycare rush to the toys, with boys grabbing boy-toys and girls going for girl-toys. This illustrates

A)gender-typed behavior.
B)mutually shared castration anxiety among children.
C)children who experience the Oedipus or Electra complexes.
D)a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 72

Children between the ages of about ____ are more flexible in their beliefs about gender roles than they are before or after that age interval.

A)five to seven years
B)eight to 10
C)11 to 13
D)14 to 16

Question 73

Children first understand that gender identity is an unchanging attribute by the age of about

A)five months.
B)two years.
C)five years.
D)seven years.

Question 74

Getting a gender-inappropriate gift will be most stressful for a child who is

A)being raised by cohabiting gay or lesbian adults.
B)a preschooler.
C)of elementary school age.
D)near puberty.

Question 75

The idea that gender-role stereotypes are obsessively strong during early adolescence is called

A)psychological androgyny.
B)gender stability.
C)gender intensification.
D)gender-reassignment surgery.

Question 76

"Boys play with boys, and girls with girls." This statement describes

A)a natural expression of gender genotypes.
B)the childhood precursor to the gay/lesbian orientation.
C)gender schemas.
D)gender segregation.

Question 77

Knowledge about gender-role stereotypes is commonly held by nearly all children when they reach the early age of about

A)birth.
B)one year.
C)18 months
D)two years.

Question 78

Adherence to gender-role expectations

A)varies very little across cultures.
B)is stronger in individualistic societies that emphasize personal achievement.
C)is stronger in collectivistic cultures that emphasize the need to maintain social harmony.
D)is high in all cultures, regardless of the particular world-view variations that may exist in other social dimensions.

Question 79

Children are most intolerant of cross-sex behaviors during

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

Question 80

Children's gender-role stereotyping of personality traits matches adults' levels by the age of about

A)four to five years.
B)six to seven years.
C)eight to nine years.
D)10 to 11 years.