The Psychology of Sex and Gender

Jennifer K. Bosson is a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. The middle of three daughters raised in Yorktown Heights, New York, she attended Wesleyan University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an undergraduate, and earned her PhD in social psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2000. Jennifer became interested in gender and feminism at a young age, and has been studying sex and gender as a social psychologist for the past 20 years. Her primary research interests include gender roles, stereotypes, sexism, and sexual prejudice. She lives in Tampa, Florida, with her spouse, Dave, and their dog, Zorro. Camille E. Buckner loves to think and learn new things, especially about gender. After graduating from Rice University with a BA in psychology and French in 1991, she got her PhD in social-personality psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997, where she had the good fortune to study gender under the mentorship of Janet Spence. Camille is a professor of psychology at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, and she loves teaching, learning from her students, and following their paths after graduation. She most enjoys teaching courses on research design, cultural psychology, and gender psychology, and her research interests include gender stereotyping and discrimination, inclusive classrooms and communities, and best practices in teaching and learning. With one daughter and three sons, she and her partner appreciate raising their family in the multicultural DC metro area. Joseph A. Vandello grew up as the second of three children in a small town in Iowa. He received his BS from the University of Iowa in 1994 and received his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2000. In 2002, he joined the Psychology Department at the University of South Florida. His culturally homogenous (i.e., White, middle-class) upbringing fed a curiosity about understanding the diversity of the human experience outside of his small corner of the world and led him to study social psychology as a career. He has broad research interests in understanding manhood and masculinity, aggression, honor, underdogs, interracial interactions, and moral judgments.

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
UNIT I • FOUNDATIONS
CHAPTER 1 • Introducing Sex and Gender
Introducing Sex and Gender
How Do We Explain Central Concepts in the Psychology of Sex and Gender?
What Makes Sex and Gender So Complicated?
How Have Gender Movements Shaped History?
About This Book
CHAPTER 2 • Studying Sex and Gender
Studying Sex and Gender
What Is the Meaning of Difference?
What Is Science?
What Are the Primary Methods Used in Sex and Gender Research?
How Do We Draw Conclusions From Multiple Studies?
What Are Some Biases Common in Sex and Gender Research?
How Do We Address Challenges in Sex and Gender Research?
UNIT II • BECOMING GENDERED: BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS
CHAPTER 3 • The Nature and Nurture of Sex and Gender
The Nature and Nurture of Sex and Gender
Nature Versus Nurture or Nature and Nurture?
How Do Nature and Nurture Shape Sex Differentiation?
How Do Nature and Nurture Shape Sex Assignment and Gender Identity?
What Do Sex Differences in Brain Structure Reveal?
How Do Theories of Sex Differences Account for Nature and Nurture?
CHAPTER 4 • Gender Development
Gender Development
How Central Are Sex and Gender in Early Development?
What Are the Major Theoretical Approaches to Gender Development?
What Are the Experiences of Gender-Nonconforming Children?
How Do Sex and Gender Shape Development in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood?
How Do Sex and Gender Shape Development in Middle and Late Adulthood?
UNIT III • STEREOTYPES, DISCRIMINATION, AND POWER
CHAPTER 5 • The Contents and Origins of Gender Stereotypes
The Contents and Origins of Gender Stereotypes
What Are the Contents and Structure of Gender Stereotypes?
Where Do Gender Stereotypes Come From?
What Are Some Consequences of Gender Stereotyping?
Are Gender Stereotypes Accurate?
So How Universal Are Gender Stereotypes, Really?
CHAPTER 6 • Power, Sexism, and Discrimination
Power, Sexism, and Discrimination
How Do Power and Privilege Relate to Sex and Gender?
What Is Sexism, and Why Does It Persist?
What Is Gender Discrimination?
How Can We Resist and Reduce Gender Discrimination?
UNIT IV • COGNITION, EMOTION, AND COMMUNICATION
CHAPTER 7 • Cognitive Abilities and Aptitudes
Cognitive Abilities and Aptitudes
What Is Cognitive Ability?
What Are the Sex Differences and Similarities in Cognitive Abilities?
How Do Individual Differences and Context Influence Cognitive Performance?
How Do Sex and Gender Relate to Outcomes in School and STEM Fields?
CHAPTER 8 • Language, Communication, and Emotion
Language, Communication, and Emotion
How Do Gender-Related Words Influence Social Perception?
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Verbal Communication?
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Nonverbal Communication?
How Do Sex and Gender Shape the Experience, Expression, and Identification of Emotions?
UNIT V • SEXUALITY, RELATIONSHIPS, AND WORK
CHAPTER 9 • Sexual Orientation and Sexuality
Sexual Orientation and Sexuality
How Do Understandings of Sexuality and Sexual Orientation
Differ Across Time and Culture?
What Is Sexual Orientation?
How Does Sexual Orientation Develop?
Why Do People Differ in Sexual Orientation?
How Do Sex and Gender Contribute to the Experience of Sexuality?
How Does Sexuality Change Over the Life Course?
CHAPTER 10 • Interpersonal Relationships
Interpersonal Relationships
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Social Networks and Friendships?
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Interpersonal Attraction?
What Is the Nature of Marriage—Past and Present?
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Committed Relationships?
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Parenting and Family Relationships?
CHAPTER 11 • Work and Home
Work and Home
How Have Work and Home Labor Divisions Changed?
How Do People Divide Housework and Childcare at Home?
How Does Gender Operate in the Workplace?
How Can We Explain the Gender Wage Gap?
How Do Work and Family Roles Interact?
UNIT VI • HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
CHAPTER 12 • Gender and Physical Health
Gender and Physical Health
How Have Understandings of Health and Longevity Changed Over Time?
How Do Biological Factors Shape Sex Differences in Health?
How Do Social Factors Contribute to Sex Disparities in Health?
How Do Multiple Systems of Discrimination Shape Health and Health Care?
What Do We Know About Sex-Specific Health Issues?
CHAPTER 13 • Gender and Psychological Health
Gender and Psychological Health
How Are Mental Illnesses Defined, Classified, and Conceptualized?
What Contributes to Sex Differences in Internalizing Disorders?
What Contributes to Sex Differences in Externalizing Disorders?
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Eating and Body Image Disorders?
How Do LGBTQ Statuses Relate to Mental Health?
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Mental Health Help-Seeking?
What Roles Do Sex and Gender Play in Happiness and Well-Being?
CHAPTER 14 • Aggression and Violence
Aggression and Violence
Are There Sex Differences in Aggression?
What Are the Major Forms of Gender-Based Aggression and Violence?
What Explains Gender-Based Aggression and Violence?
What Is the Relationship Between Pornography and Sexual Aggression?
UNIT VII • SUMMARY AND REFLECTION
CHAPTER 15 • Gender Past, Present, and Future
Gender Past, Present, and Future
Gender Past: Where Were We (in the 19th and 20th Centuries)?
Gender Present: Where Are We Now (in the 21st Century)?
Gender Future: Where Are We Going?
Revisiting Our Challenge to You: Critical Thinking
Glossary
References
Subject Index
Author Index