Chapter 12: Gender Roles and Sexuality
1. Each society generally has a set of expectations regarding the behaviors and traits that are considered appropriate for
males as compared to females. These sets of expectations are
a.
gender roles.
b.
gender-role stereotypes.
c.
gender types.
d.
gender identities.
2. While Charlotte is growing up, she is socialized into believing that a woman should stay home and take care of the
children while men go off to work and “bring home the bacon.” This message best reflects a
a.
gender-role stereotype.
b.
gender type.
c.
gender identity.
d.
gender-role norm.
3. Which is the best example of a communality role in American society?
a.
b.
c.
d.
4. The goal of the gender role aspect called “agency” is to prepare a person for
a.
the acquisition of sexist language.
b.
individual achievement.
c.
developing a “nurturing side.”
d.
the onset of sexual urges in puberty.
5. With regard to gender stereotypes in the 1990s vs. today,
a.
more males now view themselves as having no communality traits.
b.
more women now view themselves as having more agentic traits.
c.
more boys who reject communality traits are developing homosexual orientations.
d.
more girls who reject agentic traits are experiencing teen pregnancy.
6. If Kirsten believes in the saying, “Boys and girls are more alike than different,” she is clearly a fan of
a.
psychodynamic theory.
b.
a double standard.
c.
the gender similarity hypothesis.
d.
gender segregation.
7. Research on gender differences in math ability has shown that
a.
males have superior computational skills.
b.
females obtain slightly higher grades in math classes.
c.
males score higher on math tests in all countries.
d.
females express more negative attitudes about math.
8. Which is true regarding common gender stereotypes?
a.
There is solid research evidence that females generally have better visual/spatial skills than males.
b.
There is consistent research support for the fact that males are more aggressive than females.
c.
Females are more vulnerable to diseases and disorders than males.
d.
There are no gender stereotypes that are consistently supported by research.
9. Research on gender differences suggests that girls are
a.
more compliant than boys in all situations.
b.
more demanding than boys.
c.
more compliant than boys with authority figures but not with peers.
d.
more likely than boys to engage in risky behavior.
10. If American children Nicholas (a boy) and Alexandra (a girl) are typical of other members of their sex, then you
would predict that
a.
Nicholas would likely be more cooperative.
b.
Alexandra would show more interest in caring for an infant.
c.
Nicholas would be more cautious.
d.
Alexandra would be more likely to be autistic.
11. If we identified 100 typical males and 100 typical females and assessed them across a variety of psychological
attributes, chances are that about _____ of the observed differences could be attributed to whether the person was male or
female.
a.
0%
b.
5%
c.
25%
d.
50%
12. Which statement about sex differences is true?
a.
Actual psychological gender differences are small, however they make a major difference in a society.
b.
Actual psychological gender differences are large, however they make little difference in a society.
c.
Actual gender psychological differences are small, and they make little difference in a society.
d.
Actual gender psychological differences are large, and they make a major difference in a society.
13. Shawn and Denise are a typical U.S. couple. What makes them a little unusual is that Denise works outside the home
while Shawn is a stay-at-home dad. Research has indicated that Shawn and Denise most likely
a.
divide their at-home labor responsibilities along traditional lines.
b.
divide their at-home labor responsibilities along gender-neutral lines.
c.
divide their at-home labor responsibilities in direct opposition traditional lines.
d.
do not divide their at-home labor responsibilities.
14. Adults are asked to interact with an unknown infant. Half of the adults are told that the infant is “Steve” and the other
half are told that the infant is “Stacy.” What are you likely to observe of these interactions?
a.
At such a young age, there are not likely to be any differences in how adults treat the infant in the two
conditions.
b.
Adults will treat the infant similarly until it begins to act in stereotypical ways, and then their responses will
differ.
c.
Adults will detect the real biological sex of the infant due to their behavior, and respond based on the infant’s
sex.
d.
Adults are likely to rate “Steve” as strong and brave and “Stacy” as soft and cuddly.
15. Khalid has begun to demonstrate cross-modal associations of gender information by looking longer at a female face
when he hears a female voice than when he hears a male voice. How old is Khalid?
a.
one hour
b.
one week
c.
one month
d.
one year
16. Most children clearly demonstrate basic gender identity by
a.
1 to 1½ years of age.
b.
2½ to 3 years of age.
c.
3½ to 4 years of age.
d.
5 to 6 years of age.
17. The process by which children become aware of the fact that they are either male or female and that there are different
cultural expectations concerning the pattern of behavior for the two sexes is called
a.
androgenizing.
b.
gender-role stereotyping.
c.
sexual orienting.
d.
gender typing.
18. Through her mother’s efforts, Olive has just come to realize that she is a girl and has also begun to acquire behaviors
expected of girls. This process is best classified as
a.
gender typing.
b.
androgenizing.
c.
sexual orienting.
d.
the double standard.
19. Children appear to learn gender stereotypes
a.
at about the time they understand that they cannot change their sex.
b.
during the first few months after birth.
c.
around the point that they become aware of their basic gender identities.
d.
around the end of the elementary school years.
20. Which statement concerning toddlers’ understanding of gender roles is true?
a.
Females appear to understand gender-based activities much earlier than males.
b.
Males appear to understand gender-based activities much earlier than females.
c.
Females and males appear to understand gender-based activities at the same age.
d.
Toddlers do not show any understanding of gender-based
activities.
21. Who would a typical five-year-old in the U.S. believe to be most competent at their job?
a.
A female construction worker
b.
A male nurse
c.
A female teacher
d.
A male stay-at-home dad
22. With regard to children’s views of gender stereotypes, research has indicated that
a.
nine-year-olds are more bothered than five-year-olds when kids’ activities violate gender-role stereotypes.
b.
five-year-olds are more upset by violations of gender-role stereotypes than are nine-year-olds.
c.
concern about violations of gender stereotypes is very high throughout childhood (age four through nine).
d.
concern about violations of gender stereotypes is nonexistent until the teenage years.
23. What effect does the establishment of a firm sense of gender identity tend to have on children?
a.
They develop more rigid rules concerning appropriate “boy” and “girl” behavior.
b.
They develop more flexible rules concerning appropriate “boy” and “girl” behavior.
c.
They abandon all rules concerning appropriate “boy” and “girl” behavior.
d.
They initially identify rules concerning appropriate “boy” and “girl” behavior.
24. Max, Trayvon, and the rest of the boys in the first-grade class have decided that from now on, boys will only play with
boys and never with girls. What are these students demonstrating?
a.
gender stereotyping
b.
gender typing
c.
gender segregation
d.
gender stability
25. Five-year-old Preetha draws clear lines between what types of games boys and girls should play and makes every
effort to avoid playing with boys like her neighbor Kevin. Research has shown that preschoolers with attitudes like
Preetha tend to be
a.
aggressive.
b.
shy.
c.
rejected by peers.
d.
well adjusted.
26. Which two groups view violations of gender roles most negatively?
a.
Young elementary school-aged children and adolescents
b.
Preschoolers and elementary school-aged children
c.
Middle-school-aged children and adolescents
d.
Preschoolers and adults
27. Based on research by Stoddart and Turiel, which two people would you expect to hold the most negative attitudes
concerning the violation of gender roles (e.g., a boy wearing nail polish)?
a.
A 5-year-old and a 7-year-old
b.
A 5-year-old and a 13-year-old
c.
A 7-year-old and a 9-year-old
d.
A 9-year-old and a 13-year-old
28. In general, young adolescents
a.
view gender-role violations as a sign of psychological abnormality.
b.
are more accepting of peers’ cross-sex interests than they are likely to be as adults.
c.
make less negative judgments of peers who violate traditional gender roles than do those in middle childhood.
d.
show significantly fewer sex difference on tests of cognitive abilities.
29. Gender intensification involves an increased
a.
desire to be viewed as androgynous.
b.
intolerance of any deviation from proscribed gender roles.
c.
drive to have “hook ups” due to peer pressure.
d.
experimentation with sexual orientation.
30. An example of gender intensification would involve
a.
boys noticing that some girls like romance.
b.
a boy asserting his masculinity among his peers.
c.
a girl acting like a “tomboy.”
d.
a boy acting like a “sissy.”
31. Gender intensification appears to be driven by
a.
maturation of the amygdala and adrenals.
b.
prenatal hormones and social experiences in infancy.
c.
the need to experiment with one’s gender role.
d.
hormonal changes and peer pressure.
32. Biosocial theory views the sex chromosome pattern of an infant (e.g., XX) as
a.
irrelevant to gender-role development.
b.
a starting point for biological differentiation of the sexes.
c.
the determinant of one’s gender.
d.
the after effect of gender-identification.
33. Money and Ehrhardt’s biosocial theory of gender typing suggests all of the following EXCEPT that
a.
gender-role development is strongly influenced by socialization.
b.
there are critical periods for the establishment of gender identity.
c.
early biological developments influence how parents label and treat a child at birth.
d.
fetal chromosomal differences determine gender-role behavior.
34. What evidence did Money and Ehrhardt use as the basis for concluding that there is a critical period for the
establishment of gender identity?
a.
Hormones must be released prenatally to have any impact on behavior.
b.
Sex reassignment can be successfully done when a child has achieved gender identity, but not once a child has
achieved gender stability.
c.
Sex reassignment before 18 months of age causes few adjustment problems, while reassignment after 3 years
of age is very difficult.
d.
Sex reassignment while still in the preoperational stage of development causes few adjustment problems,
while reassignment once concrete operational thought has begun is very difficult.
35. From the time they are born, twins Johnny (a boy) and Tracey (a girl) are treated diversely. For example, whenever
Johnny plays with a truck, his parents praise his behavior. Whenever Tracey shows an interest in a doll, her parents praise
her actions. A social learning theorist would likely argue that this _____ will likely lead to distinct gender roles for Johnny
and Tracey.
a.
observational learning
b.
parental identification
c.
systemizing
d.
differential reinforcement
36. Research by Morrongiello and Hogg (2004) found that when asked to prevent future risky behavior in a child who had
misbehaved in some dangerous way (e.g., bicycling fast down a hill), moms reported that they would
a.
set more rules for both boys and girls.
b.
not intervene with the boys but would set more rules with girls.
c.
not intervene with the girls but would set more rules with boys.
d.
not intervene with either boys or girls as risky behavior was “in their blood.”
37. Research on reinforcement of sex-appropriate behavior indicates that
a.
fathers are more likely than mothers to discourage youngsters for playing with gender-inappropriate toys.
b.
peers are more critical of cross-sex behavior in the infant years than in later childhood.
c.
while impacting gender-role attitudes, parental reinforcement appears not to impact children’s behavior on
sex-related tasks (e.g., mathematics).
d.
differential reinforcement of sex-appropriate behavior typically begins when a child reaches kindergarten.
38. Audrey grows up in a family in which her father provides at-home daycare and her mother is a construction worker.
Audrey loves trucks and hates dolls. A social learning theorist would be most likely to explain Audrey’s attitudes in terms
of
a.
gender confusion.
b.
observational learning.
c.
a double standard.
d.
gender segregation.
39. In which type of media outlet would you expect to find the strongest portrayal of traditional gender stereotypes?
a.
Television
b.
Picture books
c.
Video games
d.
Elementary textbooks
40. With regard to gender-role development, social learning theorists have been criticized for
a.
portraying children as passive participants in the developmental process.
b.
overemphasizing the role of biological factors.
c.
placing too little emphasis on the role of differential reinforcement.
d.
denying the role that the media (e.g., television) play in promoting gender typing.
41. “I am a boy. Therefore I want to do the things boys do.” This statement is reflective of which theoretical perspective
regarding gender-role development?
a.
Biosocial theory
b.
Cognitive-developmental theory
c.
Psychoanalytic theory
d.
Social-learning theory
42. For Kohlberg, the outcome of the three childhood stages of gender development is the acquisition of gender
a.
moratorium.
b.
flexibility.
c.
androgyny.
d.
constancy.
43. According to cognitive-developmental theory, the initial phase of gender identity is established around age 2 or 3,
when a child
a.
realizes that boys and girls do different things.
b.
first begins to use the terms “boy” and “girl.”
c.
first begins to be treated differently by their parents.
d.
recognizes that they are a male or female.
44. Which statement indicates that a child is in Kohlberg’s initial basic gender identity stage of development?
a.
“Girls do housework.”
b.
“If you wear a dress, you are a girl.”
c.
“I am a girl.”
d.
“Some girls are pretty.”
45. Martin has just come to realize that when a boy dresses like a girl, he does not actually become a girl. In cognitive-
developmental theory, Martin appears to have just acquired
a.
basic gender identity.
b.
gender consistency.
c.
gender stability.
d.
gender segregation.
46. According to the cognitive-developmental perspective of gender typing, which is the most mature understanding?
a.
Understanding that some things are “boy things” and others are “girl things”
b.
Understanding how to correctly label one’s self as male or female
c.
Understanding that gender is stable across situations
d.
Understanding that gender is stable across time
47. The most common criticism of Kohlberg’s cognitive-developmental explanation of gender typing is that
a.
children often acquire gender-typed behaviors and preferences before they acquire gender stability and
consistency.
b.
his proposed sex differences in the rate at which boys acquire gender versus girls remains unsupported.
c.
there is no evidence that the development of cognitive skills is related to the acquisition of gender typing.
d.
it places too much emphasis on hormonal factors.
48. Martin and Halverson’s gender schema model suggests that
a.
children learn gender roles solely as a result of parental reinforcement of sex–appropriate behaviors.
b.
children are intrinsically interested in learning about objects or activities that fit their own-sex schemas.
c.
inaccurate gender stereotypes are easily changed.
d.
children are passive participants in gender-role development.
49. A major difference between Kohlberg’s cognitive-developmental theory and Martin and Halverson’s gender-schema
theory is that gender typing in the gender-schema theory
a.
does not begin to develop until after children have developed gender stability and gender consistency.
b.
begins as soon as children acquire gender identity at around two to three years of age.
c.
develops via passive exposure to external models of gender-typed behaviors.
d.
is unrelated to cognitive development.
50. Which is the best example of an in-group-out-group gender schema?
a.
Black children are more athletic than white children.
b.
Boys who play with dolls don’t like girls.
c.
Boys can fight, but girls should play nice.
d.
If you are a girl, you will grow up to be a woman.
51. Four-year-old Bao believes that only girls can be nurses. At his next check-up, he happens to be seen by a male nurse.
According to gender-schema theory, if a week later you were to ask Bao if boys can be nurses, his answer would most
likely be
a.
“No, they can never be.”
b.
“Yes, boys can be nurses.”
c.
“Yes, but only for little kids.”
d.
“Yes, but only if their wife is a doctor.”
52. According to gender-schema theory, if four-year-old Marisol (who classifies herself as a girl) believes that jumping
rope is a “girl thing” and playing football is a “boy thing,” then she would most likely
a.
talk a lot about football, but would not play football.
b.
think that jumping rope is for her (even if she has never done it in the past).
c.
argue that boys should be made to jump rope.
d.
try playing football to make sure that it is not for her.