Critically consider the role of genes and hormones in gender development

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Critically consider the role of genes and hormones in gender development (24 marks)

Gender refers to the attitudes, feelings, and behaviours that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex. Many biological psychologists believe that gender development is directly caused by the influences of genes and hormones alone.

Each person has 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each chromosome contains hundreds of genes which contain instructions about the physical and behavioural characteristics (e.g. eye colour). Females XX, males XY, sex determined by father’s sperm. Half of sperm contains an X chromosome, half Y chromosome. As all female’s eggs contain X chromosomes, everything develops as a female unless instructed otherwise. Sex is determined by which sperm fertilises the ovum. If the Y chromosome succeeds, this leads to the development of glands which produce male androgens (sex hormones i.e testosterone).This then leads to the formation of male external genitalia and changes in brain development, thus directly affecting gender development.

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Sometimes there are problems such as when a boy (XY) foetus is insensitive to androgens, also known as androgen insensitivity syndrome. As a result, the person has some or all of the physical traits of a woman, but the genetic makeup of a man.

There is evidence to support the biological view by Quadagno (1977this study focused on female monkeys and exposing them to prenatal testosterone, it was found that they engaged in more rough and tumble play than other females, and were more aggressive. Thus showing the huge importance hormones and likely genes have on gender development. However, this research ...

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