Page 134 - Understanding Psychology

Figure 4.14 Gender and Personality
Girls are often described as concerned, sensitive, and nurturing; boys are viewed as controlling, aggressive, and independent. How does this car- toon depict gender differences?
120 Chapter 4 / Adolescence
When researchers examine specific topics and age trends, some dif- ferences do appear. For example, males and females perform about the same in problem solving until high school. At that point, males outper- form females. Men also tend to do better than females on tests of spatial ability; however, women are better at tracking objects (see Figure 4.15).
In conclusion, there are very few cognitive differences between males and females. The studies mentioned above should not limit the participa- tion of males and females in specific areas, or be used as a basis for discrimination. The studies fail to reflect individual differences of ability and do not reflect an individual’s motivations, past history, and ambitions.
ORIGINS OF GENDER DIFFERENCES
How do differences in gender develop? How gender differences develop is one of the many questions that falls into the nature versus nurture issue. While some argue that differences between sexes are biological, others propose that we learn gender differences from our environment. Today most psychologists agree that nature and nurture interact to influence gender differences.
Biological Theory
The biological theory of gender role development emphasizes the role of anatomy, hormones, and brain organization. Supporters of this theory point out that regardless of what parents do, boys seem to prefer trucks, while girls prefer to play with dolls.
Supporters of this idea claim that differences in gender are the result of behaviors that evolved from early men and women. That is, men and women adopted certain behaviors throughout time in an attempt to