Gender Differences

Males are like Waffles?

Females and Spaghetti?

SEX VS. GENDER

biology & behavior

Gender in development

differences from the start…

• XX vs. XY

• girls = healthier and hardier at birth

• girls = more “verbal”

• boys = more “active”

Gender in development

cognitive gender development…Children first understand gender, then identify with

it (cute/embarrassing stories)

• Constancy age 3- identify, age 4- stability, age 5- constancy

• Stereotypesage 2- clothes, 3- toys, 4- colors, 5-behavioral traits

Gender in development

psychological differences…(Maccoby & Jacklin, reviewed over 1500 studies)

• Girls = more verbal

• Boys = better spatial abilities

• Boys = better at arithmetic reasoning involving spatial skills

• Boys = show greater physical and verbal aggression

Gender in development

also:

• Boys may be more active, explorative

• Boys may engage in more rough play

• Girls may be more responsive to infants

• Girls may be less demanding and more compliant to parents

What a man would say…

• Politics

• Sports

• Power

• Dominance…

What a woman would say…

• Relationships

• Feelings

• Understanding…

Females Males

•Left brain

•Linguistic & logical

•Holistic thinking

•Emotionally intelligent

•Relate to people

•Emphasis on communication

•Theorists & Reflectors

•"Assimilators"

•(abstract reflectors)

•Thinks first - then does

•Sequential method

•Reflective thinker

• Right brain

• Visual-spatial & creative

• Specialized thinking

• Problem-solvers

• Relate to things

• Emphasis on action

• Activists & pragmatists

• "Accommodators"

• (concrete activists)

• Does first - then thinks

• Trial and error method

• Speculative thinker

Females Males

• Novels

• Romantic fiction

• "Presentation is everything“

• Co-operative

• Listening

• Discussion

• Writing

• Lengthy assignments

• Action books

• Practical information

• Will do what's necessary

• Independent

• Brainstorm

• Role-play

• Practical investigation

• Information technology