This tutorial should be completed by ARC students enrolled in my online Psyc 300 class at American River College and corresponds with Module C Lesson 2.

1. Learning Gender
Created by: Professor Hokerson
American River College
Last Updated: Fall 2015
Module C Lesson 2 Tutorial

2. Using this Tutorial
 Use the navigation buttons at the bottom of
the screen.
 Click on hyperlinks when prompted.
 Have fun and learn!

3. Table of Contents (TOC)
 Objectives
◦ Module Objectives #18 - 20
 Action Items
 Definitions
 Gender
 Gender Differences
 Gender Role Learning
 Defining Masculinity
 Conclusions

4. MODULE C OBJECTIVES
By the end of this tutorial you will be able to…
#18 – Report two important qualifications to consider when
studying gender differences.
#19– Summarize gender differences in personality,
emotionality, cognition, and sexual attitudes and behaviors.
#20 - Describe gender role acquisition from childhood through
adulthood, using social learning, gender schemas
evolutionary, and interactionist theories.

5. ACTION ITEMS

6. Defining Sex
 Question: Are these the same thing?
 Read: “Introduction: Gender and Sexuality,” Chapter 10
pages 400 – 401
 Although the terms are used
interchangeably, they in fact are
different. Sex is biological.
Gender is a social construct.
 Although we tend to
view sex as a gender binary
there is growing evidence that
the biology of sex might be
more complex than that.

7. Gender Cross-Culturally
 Read: Gender Stereotypes and Gender Roles, Chapter
10 pages 401 – 407.
 Question: If gender were entirely socially constructed,
how can the results from Williams and Best’s research
studies find a “high degree of agreement on the
characteristics associated with each sex” across 25
different cultures? (Hockenbury and Hockenbury, 2013,
p.402).

8. Gender Identity
 Activity: Complete the Gender I.D. Quiz.
◦ What gender do your characteristics most resemble?
◦ What do you think about this test – does it measure gender, or something
else?
You are born with your biological sex, which includes your
genetic sex and your anatomical sex. Your culture defines what
it means to be male or female, that is your gender. How you
identify is called your gender identity.
For most people their genetic sex will match their assigned sex,
which will also match their gender identity. But what if you took
a test and found out that the characteristics that make you
unique are actually descriptive of the “other” sex?

9. Battle of the Sexes
There is a growing body of research which
substantiates that men and women do have
different characteristics and/or tendencies. What
these studies don’t do, however, is explain why. Is
it because men and women are born different or
are we raised to develop differently? And do these
differences equate to deficiencies?

10. Gender Differences
 Read: “Gender-Related Differences” and “Gender
Differences: Women in Science” in Chapter 10, pages
402 – 407.
 Summarize: How are men and women different in
personality, emotionality, cognition, sexual attitudes and
behaviors?
 The New Sex Scorecard which offers some
other examples of these differences, but explains them
in the context of biological causes and discussed their
effects.
 Activity: After reading the article complete the Gender
Differences Quizlet and Section A of the Gender
Worksheet.

11. Gender Role Learning
 Question: Where do these differences come from?
 Reflection: Although there may be some biological
differences in men and women, can you absolutely
conclude that these differences are innate? In other
words how do you know if boys and girls are born with
these differences or if they are nurtured from their
environments?
 Read: “Gender-Role Development” in Chapter 10,
pages 408 – 413.
 Activity: Complete section B of the Gender Worksheet.

12. Social Learning Theory
 Question: At what age do we begin to learn gender?
 Review: As you recall on page 408, children as young
as age 2 and 3 identify themselves by gender, however
it is very concrete (hair length, color of clothing). They
have not yet developed concrete operational thought
yet!
 Watch: From a very young age children are bombarded
with advertising that sends a very clear message, to
children, about what it means to be male or female, as
demonstrated in this Gender in Advertising video.
 Activity: Complete Part C of the Gender Worksheet.

13. Defining Masculinity
 Reflection: Which gender is more desirable?
Which is more nurturing? Although the
characteristics of masculinity are more likely to be
equated with success than are the characteristics
of femininity, cultural gender roles aren’t changing
but men are! How?
 How do men respond to the demands of
their gender today? Read “6 facts about American
Fathers” from the Pew Research Center study.

14. Conclusions
 Sometimes men and women are different.
◦ These differences do not mean deficiency or superiority.
◦ These differences are averages, not absolute.
 Understanding the origins of gender differences is
difficult.
◦ Most researchers agree that it these differences are most
likely a combination of both nature and nurture.
 Men and women are more similar than different.
 Activity: Finish Part D of the Gender Worksheet to
share your final thoughts on gender!

15. MODULE C OBJECTIVES
By the end of this tutorial you should now be able to…
#18 – Report two important qualifications to consider when
studying gender differences.
#19– Summarize gender differences in personality,
emotionality, cognition, and sexual attitudes and behaviors.
#20 - Describe gender role acquisition from childhood through
adulthood, using social learning, gender schemas
evolutionary, and interactionist theories.