Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
THE ROLE OF CHROMOSOMES + HORMONES, - - Coggle Diagram
THE ROLE OF CHROMOSOMES + HORMONES
Biological sex is determined by genes
A STUDY TO SUPPORT THE ROLE OF TESTOSTERONE ON GENDER DEVELOPMENT - QUADAGNO
Quadagno conducted a study where he investigated the effects of testosterone on brain development
He found that female monkeys who were deliberately exposed to testosterone during prenatal development later engaged in a more rough type of play/were more aggressive
This provides empirical evidence for the theory that hormones greatly affect brain development relating to gender identity
WALLEN
- SUPPORTS THE THEORY - found that when vervet male monkeys showed significantly greater interest in the masculine toys e.g. trucks + female vervet monkeys showed greater interest in the feminine toys e.g. dolls when individuals were presented with masculine, femenine or gender neutral toys
This shows that there may infact be an innate explanation for these gender specific behaviours/preferences - study is also deemed more important as the monkeys had not been exposed to any socialisation (like human infants) and still showed gendered behaviours which suggests
gender is biologically pre-programmed
Females = XX pair of chromosomes
Males = XY pair of chromosomes
Chromosomes initially determine a person's sex but most gender development is governed by hormones
This suggests that chromosomes do affect gender development due to the link between genes + genitalia + hormones
Usually a direct link between chromosomal sex + person's internal + external genitalia and the resultant hormones produced
These hormones can be produced both pre-natally and in adolescence
STUDIES CONDUCTED ON ANIMALS - DIFFICULT TO GENERALISE FINDINGS
It is really difficult too extrapolate the results to the human population because we have different physiology + psychology to monkeys
This reduces the external validity of the studies
Humans actions = governed by conscious decisions
Animal actions = not governed by conscious decisions
Therefore, it is not clear if the same results would be seen if the study was conducted on humans e.g. toy selection of a monkey is very unlikely to be able to explain the complexity of human gender
As the supporting study lacks validity, so does the biological explanation of gender development
CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE - TRICKER
This double-blind study investigated 43 males who received weekly injection of testosterone or placebo
Tricker found no difference between the groups after 10 weeks
This shows that biology must not be the only factor that determines gender development
Testosterone
Responsible for development of female sex organs + characteristice
Released prenataly in the womb at 3 months
This masculanises the brain' - which alters neural pathways in the brain
SDN (sexually dymorphic nucleus) - bundle of nerves within the brain
SDN = 2 x larger in males
May explain why males have higher sex drive
Chromosomes
Oestrogen
Released during the menstrual cycle
May explain why women are more emotional then men
Oxcytocin
Released at childbirth + lactation (breast feeding)
This may explain why women are better at 'bonding' with children/more nurturing
Rats - female rats produce oxytocin when stressed
This may explain gender differences within stress
Males - fight/flight
Females - tend + befriend may be a result of oxytocin
-