Behavioral Psychology

2. Unit Objectives
• Gender/behavior relationships and it’s influences on adjustment.
• Stereotypes attached to gender differences
• Impacts of adhering to traditional gender roles on behavior
• Changing gender roles

3. • Sex refers to biological
characteristics of a male or female.
• Gender refers to social and
psychological dimensions of
masculine and feminine behavior.
• Exp: "Male" and "female" are sex
categories, while "masculine" and
"feminine" are gender categories.

4. Gender/Behavior Relationships and it’s Influences on Adjustment
• Gender and Behavior are Inter-related.
• Individuals whose behavior matched sex role prescriptions were more
likely to be psychologically well adjusted because they would be
fulfilling a psychological need to conform to internalized cultural
standards of gender. (Research)

5. • As children move through childhood
and into adolescence, they are exposed
to many factors which influence their
attitudes and behaviors regarding
gender roles.
• Gender roles can influence all kinds of
behaviors, such as choice of clothing,
choice of work and personal
relationships.
In some cultures:
§ women aren’t allowed to drive
§ receive low salary
which leads to adjustment issues and
dissatisfaction.

7. • Stereotypes about gender and race shape our interpretations of other
people’s behavior.
• Example
Someone performed exceptionally well on a math test. Studies
show that if that someone is male, most people think he’s smart,
whereas if she’s female, they think she got lucky by studying the right
material.
(Deaux, 1984; Swim & Sanna, 1996).

8. Men are: Women are:
ü Leader
ü Aggressive
ü Assertive
ü Independent
ü Risk taking
ü Problem solver
ü Good manager
ü Heartless
ü Affectionate
ü Gentle
ü Emotional
ü Dependent
ü Sympathetic
ü Less decision maker
ü Nurturing
ü Kind-hearted

9. •

10. • Parents: are most influential figures in a child's life when it comes to
modeling gender through both implicit and explicit cues.
• Parents has strongest impact on person’s perceived gender roles.
• Parents with limited financial resources, have a strong preference for
sons.
• As a result, priority for resource opportunities ranging from health
care to education may be given to sons over daughters.

11. • Parents fear more for the safety of their daughters rather sons.
• Parents treat girls and boys differently through the encouragement of
gender-stereotyped activities.
Example:
types of toys that parents might purchase: toy vehicles, and sports
equipment for their sons whereas dolls, kitchen sets, and dress-up toys
to their daughters.
• Kinds of activities that they promote
• Parents reinforce gender stereotypes.
Example: “Girls like dolls” or “Boys like hockey.”
If a boy sees his father helping to take care of new baby he will
integrated image of “daddy as care giver”. Children who grow up in
abusive environment they think that it’s fine to abuse their daughter,
wives or sisters.

12. • Peers: Children prefer to play with peers who are similar to them.
• Girls select other girls because they share similar interests and
activities.
• Children may become similar to their friends due to influence, or the
tendency of behaviors and interests.
• Gender is salient to young children’s own identities and perceptions
of others
• They socialize each other’s gendered behaviors.

13. • Media: advertise the girls as a symbol of beauty and boys as a symbol
of courage.
• The colors are also associated with gender.
• Pink is favorite for girls while blue is for boys.

14. • Gender role: Media, and culture convey
social beliefs regarding how men and
women are expected to behave.
• Men and women perceive the world
differently.
• Women are better than men at reading
emotion in facial expressions
• Women are generally more perceptive
about interpreting others’ nonverbal cues
(Rennels & Cummings, 2013; Hall &
Andrzejewski, 2017).

15. • Societal gender roles affect perception dramatically (Halpern, 2000).
• In many cultures, women are expected to assume:
üthe role of wife and mother
ühave limited opportunities to pursue other careers
• In the US and other countries, expectations are evolving, and
women do have more opportunities than ever before. But conflict can
still result.

16. • The language is change now from chairman to chair person.
• Portrayals of women and men in television advertising:
üThe ways in which women and men are portrayed in television
commercials have been examined throughout the world.
ü In every country, women were more likely to be portrayed in
powerless, dependent roles than men were.
(Furnham & Mak, 1999).

17. • In India, women were traditionally permitted to take only the roles of:
üwife
ümother
üagricultural laborer
üdomestic worker
As their rights have expanded, women are increasingly working at
other professions.
• Husbands still expect their wives to assume the traditional role of
child rearer and household manager, even if their wives have other
careers.