Deck 16: Sex, Gender, and Sexual Behavior

Question 1

Human sexuality, in psychology, refers to

A) sex
B) gender
C) sexual behavior
D) all of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic that determines a child's sex at birth?

A)fetal gonad
B) hormonal balance
C) genitals
D) secondary sex characteristics

Answer 2

D

Question 3

To be born female, a fetus must inherit

A) two X chromosomes
B) an X and a Y chromosome
C) one X chromosome
D) three X chromosomes

Answer 3

A

Question 4

At the chromosomal level, whether an embryo is male or female is therefore entirely determined by whether an X or Y chromosome is

A)present in an ovum
B) inherited from the mother
C) carried by the fertilizing sperm
D) presented during week 2 of gestation

Question 5

In order to present female sex characteristics, a fetus must inherit

A) two X chromosomes from the male sperm
B) two X chromosomes from the ovum
C) one X chromosome from the sperm and one from the ovum
D) one X chromosome from the sperm and a Y chromosome from the ovum

Question 6

If the SRY gene does not trigger protein synthesis in a fetus, then

A)no gonads will develop
B) the fetus will develop testes
C) the fetus will develop ovaries
D) the fetus will develop both testes and ovaries

Question 7

A fetus can develop testes only if

A) an X chromosome is present
B) the Y chromosome and SRY trigger protein synthesis
C) the sperm caries both an X and a Y chromosome
D) the ovum carries a Y chromosome

Question 8

An embryo will develop female genitals unless the testes are present and produce

A)testosterone and Mullerian inhibiting substance
B) estrogen and testosterone
C) estrogen and Mullerian inhibiting substance
D) androgen and testosterone

Question 9

The sexual organs (e.g., penis and vagina) are distinguished from the reproductive organs (e.g., ovaries and testes) in that the sexual organs

A)are not involved in reproduction
B) serve other functions apart from reproduction
C) provide most of the hormonal balance in the fetus
D) appear first in development

Question 10

The modern term for cases in which an infant's genetic sex does not match its gonads, or in which the infant is born with aspects of male and female sexual and reproductive organs is

A) hermaphroditism
B) intersex
C) transgender
D) bisexual

Question 11

Our subjective perception of the sex to which we belong or with which we identify, and our beliefs about appropriate male and female behavior, is broadly defined as

A) sexual orientation
B) gender identity
C) sex roles
D) gender bias

Question 12

This term refers to all of the non-anatomical characteristics that distinguish males from females.

A) gender
B) sex type
C) intersex
D) role theory

Question 13

One problem with the practice of separating the terms "sex" and "gender" is that

A)behavioral differences between males and females are fixed from birth
B) gender implies that the person's identity is relatively innate
C) sex implies that a person's biology is flexible
D) a biological phenomenon is not necessarily innate, nor is a psychological phenomenon flexible

Question 14

Pedophilia, fetishism, and other unusual sexual interests that a person develops in adolescence and adulthood are called

A) sadomasochisms
B) paraphilias
C) paraphobias
D) sexual dysfunctions

Question 15

Boys and girls begin to understand the idea of gender as expressed in labels-"lady," "man"-at about

A) 3 years
B) 17 or 18 months
C) 2 or 3 months
D) 24 or 28 months

Question 16

Over time, young toddlers come to acquire ideas about gender that summarize the child's interpretations of all the information he or she has acquired about gender. This information is formed into

A) gender schemas
B) gender roles
C) sex biases
D) sex differences

Question 17

All of the following are consistent with a female child's developing gender schemas, EXCEPT:

A) that there are two sexes, male and female
B) that she is a girl and she should act like a girl
C) that Mommy is a woman
D) that she is a boy and should act like a boy

Question 18

Since the 1950s, tens of thousands of transsexual individuals have had the surgical procedure called

A) gender identity surgery
B) hormone replacement therapy
C) sex reassignment surgery
D) gender-change operation

Question 19

These people experience a mismatch between their anatomical sex and their gender identity.

A) intersex
B) homosexuals
C) transsexuals
D) bisexuals

Question 20

Which of the following people is LEAST typical of the category of transgender?

A)Pete enjoys taking long walks with his boyfriend Brian.
B) David enjoys a vibrant nightlife as his alter ego, a drag-queen called Ms. Fabulous.
C) Samantha is starting sex reassignment therapy but isn't going to have surgery.
D) Parker is anatomically a woman, but chooses to dress and wear her hair like a man.

Question 21

Beliefs about what constitute appropriate behaviors for males and females that vary among cultures are called

A) gender identities
B) gender roles
C) discrimination
D) moral imperatives

Question 22

Though they are similar to gender roles, gender stereotypes-beliefs about typical behavior for men and women-are

A) narrower and more specific
B) broader and more varied
C) less variable across cultures
D) innacurate and unhelpful for social development

Question 23

The Bem Sex Role Inventory is one instrument used to measure

A) gender stereotypes
B) sexual orientation
C) gender affiliation
D) sexual stimulation

Question 24

Which of the following is the most controversial sex difference in terms of research findings?

A) childhood play styles
B) cognitive performance
C) toy preferences
D) hair style

Question 25

Humans tend to be most rigid in their ideas about gender and behavior when they are in this stage of life.

A) pre-school aged
B) adolescence
C) young adulthood
D) middle adulthood

Question 26

Studies show that sex-typed play and toy differences begin to emerge, especially in males, around

A) 3-8 months
B) 9-14 months
C) 16-28 months
D) 24-36 months

Question 27

All of the following are typical patterns of play in young girls, EXCEPT:

A) propulsive behavior, like running and tumbling
B) play parenting
C) non aggressive behavior
D) relationship-focused play

Question 28

Which of the following is true of the preferences of playmates for young boys?

A)Boys prefer to play with other boys.
B) Boys are not rigid in their preference for playmates.
C) Boys prefer to play with girls.
D) Boys and girls have no playmate preference.

Question 29

This term describes the intrinsically rewarding experience of, among other things, playing with a particular type of toy.

A) cohort
B) reinforcement
C) affordance
D) affability

Question 30

Which of the following describes the pattern of behavior seen in human boys and juvenile monkeys, compared with females?

A) spending more time with younger infants
B) making loud sounds while playing with trucks
C) engaging in more rough-and-tumble activity
D) identifying the need for use of tools

Question 31

Hugh Lytton and David Romney (1991) found that mothers and fathers generally do NOT socialize their sons differently from their daughters in most areas, EXCEPT when it comes to

A) play style and toys
B) math and reading
C) athletic competition
D) dance and theater

Question 32

Some research suggests that the presence of this hormone in fetal development can determine the amount of male-typical play in members of species.

A) adrenaline
B) oxytocin
C) cortisol
D) testosterone

Question 33

Girls with this disorder are usually more masculine, more physically aggressive, and less interested in dolls, female playmates, infant care, or the prospect of becoming mothers themselves than other girls.

A) congenital adrenal hyperplasia
B) sickle-cell anemia
C) fragile-X syndrome
D) Huntington's disease

Question 34

One effect of the social environment that may explain the masculinized behavior of CAH girls is that parents might actually treat CAH girls differently because

A)they appear more masculine than other girls
B) they have more innate interest in masculine activities
C) they have been isolated from feminine environments
D) they wish that the girls had been born more feminine

Question 35

Pasterski and her colleagues found that the when the CAH girls attempted to play with the male sex-type toys, their parents

A) encouraged them to play with the male sex-type toys
B) encouraged them to play with the girl sex-type toys
C) became agitated and demonstrated aggressive behavior
D) modeled how to play with the masculine toys

Question 36

Which of the following is the best description of the trends for SAT and ACT scores for males and females in the last 30 years?

A) Math scores for all males have been consistently much higher than those for females.
B) Females never score in the top 1% on standardized math tests.
C) The ratio of male to female top scorers in math tests has been consistently low.
D)Though males tend to outperform females on standardized math tests, the trend has been variable.

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT among the three dimensions of sex differences in cognition commonly studied by psychologists?

A) innate ability and aptitude
B) motivation and interest in learning
C) test performance
D) verbal fluency with letters and numbers

Question 38

Though girls traditionally outperform boys on tasks requiring verbal skills, boys tend to outperform girls on tests of

A) verbal fluency
B) creative writing
C) reading comprehension
D) verbal analogy

Question 39

Though men tend to have an advantage in most visual spatial tasks, women are often better at recalling

A) the mental rotation of objects
B) the location of objects like landmarks
C) the position of a moving object
D) the position of turns on a driving course

Question 40

Girls typically outperform boys on solving math problems involving memorization and calculation techniques, because those skills tap cognitive processes similar to

A) mental rotation
B) financial calculations
C) language comprehension
D) verbal analogy

Question 41

Males consistently outperform females in solving math problems that involve

A)visual-spatial skills
B) financial calculations
C) language comprehension
D) verbal analogy

Question 42

Feng and colleagues found that playing an action video game reduced sex-differences in performance on visual spatial tasks, because the video game training involved

A) mental rotation
B) shooting at moving targets
C) learning the names of characters
D) navigating a maze

Question 43

Which of the following stereotypic statements about sex differences is most likely accurate?

A) Women are more interested in working with people, and men are more interested in
working with things.
B) Men are less able to navigate using their cars than women.
C) Women are underrepresented in STEM disciplines because they cannot perform well on visual spatial tasks.
D) Men are unable to succeed in careers that require high-level verbal ability.

Question 44

Former Harvard University president Lawrence Summers was harshly criticized due to his comments about the fact that women are underrepresented in science and engineering fields because he claimed that the effect was caused by

A)innate sex differences in math-related cognitive ability
B) women's choices to become psychologists rather than engineers
C) the low percentage of women holding engineering degrees
D) males keeping women out of science and engineering fields

Question 45

How did Dar-Nimrod and Heine prime participants to demonstrate stereotype threat using writing-sample tasks similar to those on the GRE?

A)some female participants completed math tests
B) some female participants read passages about sex differences in mathematics
C) some female participants were recruited because of their poor math skills
D) some female participants acted out stereotypical female behaviors

Question 46

According to a number of studies, at least 42% of people did not believe that this type of sexual behavior constituted "having sex."

A) oral-genital sex
B) anal intercourse
C) sexual intercourse
D) masturbating

Question 47

Most people consider this sexual behavior to constitute having sex.

A) oral-genital sex
B) anal intercourse
C) sexual intercourse
D) masturbating

Question 48

Most people agree that this part of the sexual response is an essential part of characterizing an activity as "having sex."

A) masturbation
B) oral-genital sex
C) male or female orgasm
D) anal intercourse

Question 49

About 95% of Americans report having had this experience at one time or another.

A) orgasm
B) sexual fantasy
C) anal intercourse
D) sexual intercourse

Question 50

This self-pleasuring behavior is just one example of the activity during which a person might be having a sexual fantasy.

A) eating
B) sifting through shoes
C) masturbating
D) stroking another's hair

Question 51

This is a slang term for a sexualized encounter between two strangers or brief acquaintances that may or may not include sexual intercourse.

A)hooking up
B) pandering
C) masturbation
D) friends with benefits

Question 52

One-night-stand was a description of a sexual encounter that has essentially been replaced by this term.

A) lust
B) hooking up
C) date rape
D) sexual love

Question 53

All of the following statements about hooking up have been validated by research, EXCEPT:

A) Men and women assume that other members of their sex are less comfortable with hooking up than they are.
B) About half of men surveyed reported positive reactions to hooking up.
C) Women are more likely than men to have a negative emotional reaction to hooking up.
D) Men believe that women are less comfortable with hooking up than men.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a part of the Masters and Johnson model of the human sexual response cycle?

A) excitement
B) plateau
C) orgasm
D) masturbation

Question 55

This is usually the most obvious sign of the excitement phase of the sexual response cycle.

A) penile erection
B) nipple erection
C) clitoral erection
D) refractory lubrication

Question 56

This phase of the sexual response cycle applies mainly to women and represents the maintenance of peak excitement levels.

A) excitement
B) plateau
C) orgasm
D) resolution

Question 57

This phase of the sexual response is accompanied by very high heart rate and some loss of voluntary muscle control.

A) excitement
B) plateau
C) orgasm
D) resolution

Question 58

Women can sometimes experience this phenomenon during their resolution phase.

A) refractory period
B) serial orgasms
C) urinary pain
D) clitoral erection

Question 59

Though it does not necessarily result in dissatisfaction with a sexual relationship, females tend to report

A) more frequent orgasms than men during sex
B) more frequent periods of non-sexual activity than men
C) difficulties attaining orgasm during sex
D) difficulties attaining orgasm during masturbation

Question 60

Contrary to that of women, men's reported subjective arousal when viewing erotic images was

A) consistent with their level of genital arousal
B) less intense than their genital arousal
C) more intense than their genital arousal
D) not related to genital arousal

Question 61

All of the following were factors that emerged in Meston's and Buss's statistical analysis of the 237 reasons that college students reported having sex, EXCEPT

A)physical reasons
B) reasons related to status
C) reasons related to insecurity
D) goal attainment reasons

Question 62

Sex researchers often face the problem of the tendency of research subjects to avoid admitting to thoughts or behaviors deemed unworthy. This is called

A)response bias
B) social desirability
C) stereotype threat
D) social stigma

Question 63

Sexual acts committed on another person without that person's consent are the antithesis of ethical sexuality as viewed by virtually all major religions and secular moral, legal, and ethical systems. These acts are generally referred to as

A) rape
B) incest
C) sexual aggression
D) sexual innuendo

Question 64

Preschool children often engage in this exploratory activity by giggling and whispering, thus truly warranting the term

A) repetitious masturbation
B) sex play
C) oral-genital intercourse
D) vaginal intercourse

Question 65

During puberty, the reproductive and sexual organs mature, and are known as

A) primary sex characteristics
B) genital characteristics
C) hormonal maturation
D) secondary sex characteristics

Question 66

This term is used in the United States to describe secondary sex characteristics development in European American (white) girls prior to age 7 or 8 and age 6 or 7 for African American (black) girls.

A) secular puberty
B) precocious puberty
C) menarche
D) breast budding

Question 67

Though many people's recollections of their first experience of sexual intercourse are unreliable, as of 2005 the proportion of U.S. adolescents who have had sex by the time they graduate high school is almost

A) 66%
B) 33%
C) 50%
D) 75%

Question 68

At every age, this ethnic group in the United States is substantially more likely to have experienced sexual intercourse than any other group.

A)Asian Americans
B) African Americans
C) Latino Americans
D) European Americans

Question 69

All of the following statements about adolescents' impressions of their first sexual experiences are true, EXCEPT:

A) Initiation into sexual intercourse is almost always voluntary for men.
B) As much as 19% of sexually experienced adolescent women are pressured or overtly coerced into first intercourse.
C) Women report fairly uniform negative responses to sexual initiation.
D) A substantial number of young women-perhaps as many as one-third-regret their first experience of sex.

Question 70

Which of the following is NOT a common element in Sharon Thompson's "Same Story A" for teenage women's sexual initiation?

A) unexpected brevity of heterosexual intercourse
B)assumption that intercourse involved pleasure
C) lack of sexual knowledge
D) boredom and disappointment

Question 71

In Sharon Thompson's research, the prototypical story referred to as "Same Story B" was told by

A) abused women
B) pleasure narrators
C) repressed homosexuals
D) lesbian women

Question 72

Which of the following labels was NOT a part of the original definition of sexual orientation?

A) heterosexual
B) homosexual
C) transsexual
D) bisexual

Question 73

In terms of a so-called three-factor view of sexual orientation, this factor refers to the sex/gender of persons about whom one fantasizes.

A) behavior
B) identity
C) desire
D) lust

Question 74

Sexual identity should be thought of mainly as

A) a genetic condition that afflicts men
B) the label one applies to one's sexual self
C) the engine driving most sexual behavior
D) the sex or gender one has sex with

Question 75

Recent research shows that women who report a greater likelihood of being at least somewhat attracted to both men and women, also report

A) lower sex drives
B) higher sex drives
C) intermittent sex drives
D) heterosexual orientation

Question 76

Lisa Diamond's research shows that, compared to men, women's sexual orientation is

A) more fluid and subject to change over time
B) easier to categorize using labels like lesbian and bisexual
C) usually fixed early in life
D) subject to more influence from dominant mothers

Question 77

Despite little evidence that homosexuality is not an ordinary variant of human sexuality, homosexuality was considered, until quite recently, to be a form of

A)physical disease
B) mental illness
C) hormonal imbalance
D) genetic abnormality

Question 78

Which of the following best describes the state of research on biological correlates of sexual orientation?

A) Gay men tend to have brain structures and sizes similar to that of heterosexual men.
B) Lesbian women tend to have a greater number of older brothers than heterosexual women.
C) Biological markers of sexual orientation are likely to differ among different people.
D) Genetic research has revealed that biological markers of homosexuality are similar in gay men and women.

Question 79

The type of love that tends to co-occur with sexuality is

A) platonic love
B) manic love
C) obsessive love
D) romantic love

Question 80

Most theorists view love as a complex collection of emotions, motivations, goal-directed behaviors and thoughts, because

A) there is a single facial expression linked with love
B) there is a particular neurochemical that triggers all of those reactions
C) there is no specific facial expression or body language for love
D) the biochemical characteristics of being in love are not well known