2. Aggression - SLT
• We behave aggressively because we imitate
the violent behaviour observed from others.
• Our environment is to blame for people’s
aggressive behaviour
3. Aggression - Deindividuation
• Deindividuation – the loss of individuality and
subsequent feelings of responsibility
• How we can become deindividuated…
4. Ways you can become
Deindividuated…
• 1. Hiding your Identity:
• Watson et al (1973) –
compared tribes levels of
aggression during war:
– Willingness to kill
– Torture
– Maim in battle
• Those tribes that used war
paint to cover their faces were
significantly more aggressive
5. Ways you can become
Deindividuated…
• 2. Wearing a Uniform…
• 3. Being part of a Crowd…
6. Institutional Aggression
• 1. Situational Argument
– Deprivation Model
• 2. Dispositional Argument
– Importation Model
7. Aggression – Biological Explanations
• People behave aggressively because it is in
their Nature
9. Aggression – Biological Explanations
• Genes:
• Lagerspetz (1979) bred 25 generations of mice. In
each generation the most aggressive mice were
bred together and the least aggressive mice were
bred together and cross-adopted.
– Results provided 2 distinct strains of mice, aggressive
and docile. Showing a clear genetic contribution to
aggression
12. Aggression – Evolutionary
explanations of Group Displays
• Evolutionary benefits of being in a group
• Costly Signaling
• Deter Free-riders
• Threaten Out-Groups
17. Sexual Selection
• Buss (1989) – mate selection reflects evolution
• Short term strategies used by men
• Hour glass figure = fertility
• Female most fertile = more masculine men
19. Influence of Childhood
• Hazan & Shaver – Continuity Hypothesis
• Attachment type and IWM
• Security and social competence / security in
relationships
20. Influence of Culture
• Collectivist vs. Individualist
• Arranged marriage (voluntary/Involuntary)
• Social Mobility – greater partner choice
• (Levine; Gupta & Singh; Epstein)
23. Gender Schema Theory
• As soon as Children can label themselves as male or
female, the environment provides information about
certain toys or activities that are either masculine or
feminine
• This allows the child to create in and out-group schemas
• Children will be driven to explore in-group activities
25. Biological Approach to Gender: Evaluation Re-Cap!
Which picture represents which study?
What did the study find?
How can it be used to evaluate biological approach? A02 + or -?
25
27. Evolutionary Approach to Gender
Summarise the key Evolutionary theories of Gender. Give an example to illustrate
Division of labour Mate Choice
Empathising-Systematising Theory Tend & Befriend
27
Neanderthals
Kuhn & Stiner
(2006)
Cross-cultural
mate choice
Buss (1989)
Brain scans
Baron-Cohen
(2002)
Stress
Response
Ennis (2002)
28. Biosocial Approach
To Start: Evolutionary A03 5 minutes
Complete the gap fill
following on from last
lesson on evaluation
for the evolutionary
approach of gender.
31. Today we will consider…
• What is the BioSocial Explanation of Gender?
• What is Social Role Theory and Biosocial
Theory?
• How can these be used to evaluate Biological &
Evolutionary approaches?
Biosocial Approach
32. Biosocial Approach
Task: ‘It’s a…..!’ 2 minutes
Imagine a friend or family member
has just had a baby
You want to buy your friend/family
member a present that is useful for
the new arrival.
Describe the kind of gift you would
buy if it was;
A: a baby girl
B: a baby boy
33. Biosocial Approach
What is a Social Role? 2 minutes
In pairs discuss what is a social role?
Agree on a definition and write it down!
Make a list of example social roles for Men and
Women.
34. Biosocial Approach
What is a Social Role?
An expected set of connected behaviours, rights and obligations
that an individual takes according to norms in society.
Men and women are expected to act differently in different social
situation.
The social roles allocated to males and females can be called
‘sex roles’.
The labelling of an individual can have an influence on how they are
treated (starting from the selection of baby goods!)
36. Biosocial Approach
Sex Roles 5 Minutes
Biological
Physical
Social
Both
Using the sex role table, complete a Venn diagram for male and female sex
roles. For each sex role, decide whether it could be caused by biological
(physical) factors, social factors or both. Place each sex role in the relevant
area of your diagram. You may work in pairs.
37. Biosocial Approach
The Biosocial approach says it’s both!
Eagly & Wood
(2002)
They argue that there is an interaction
between biological and social influences.
While there are some gendered behaviours
which are universal to all, there are
significant cultural differences as well.
There are differences in biology which can
lead to some sex-typed behaviours,
however gender is a socially constructed
concept.
It is not a natural difference, it is a label
and set of roles created by society….
Societies differ between cultures, just like
gender!
38. Biosocial Approach
Biosocial Theory, Money & Ehrhardt (1972)
Biology is likely to determine sex and everything
else follows from the label we are given as
either ‘male’ or ‘female’.
Differential treatment of boys and girls interact
with biological factors such as prenatal exposure
to testosterone…
If a genetic male is mislabelled as a girl and
treated as a girl before the age of three, he is
likely to acquire the gender identity of a girl. The
label is vital!
But (A02 Alert!) Which study refutes
this?
39. Biosocial Approach
Eagly & Wood (2002)
Argue that evolutionary theory
states that selective pressures
have caused both physical and
psychological differences in
men and women…. But this is
not the case.
Evolution may have caused
physical differences, but it is
society’s sex role allocated to
the man or woman which
causes the psychological
differences in behaviour.
43. • Social role theory argues that physical differences between
men and women allow them to perform certain tasks more
efficiently. Each sex develops characteristics for the tasks
their sex typically performs
• For example, men’s greater speed and upper body strength
make them more suitable for hunting. The physical
differences between men and women create social roles –
men are the providers and women take on a domestic role.
• This may also explain sex differences in mate choice: each
sex will seek a partner who fulfils the social roles that they
themselves do not.
Biosocial Approach
44. Biosocial Approach
Task 20 Minutes
Use the worksheets to summarise
the 2 studies in exam appropriate
AO2
Think about possible AO3
45. Biosocial Approach
Buss (Re-Examined by Eagly & Wood, 1999)
Buss found evidence that women seek powerful men with
resources and men seek young attractive women in 37
cultures. This was used as support for evolutionary theory.
BUT Eagly and Wood re-examined the data and argued that
it also supports sex differences as caused by differences in
social roles.
They found that in cultures where women had a higher
status and male-female division of labour was less
pronounced, sex differences in mating preferences became
less pronounced
Women have a lesser earning capacity in society and
inevitably seek men with financial power.
46. Baby X Baby Y experiment
Smith and Lloyd (1978)
47.
48. Biosocial Approach
Condry & Condry (1976)
200 male and female adults were shown a video of a
child interacting with a series of toys, including a
jack in the box.
For half the participants the child was introduced as
David (male) and for the other half the child was
introduced as Dana (female).
When the child played with the jack in the box there
was some upset.
When participants thought the child was female they
described her reaction as fearful. When they
thought the child was male, they said he was angry.
Gender labels lead to different
interpretations/treatment of behaviour.
49. • Case study of Mr. Blackwell:
• Boy, raised to have a male gender
identity
• At puberty, he became a hermaphrodite
when he developed female genitalia
and breasts
• His brain was not fully masculinized,
however elected to remain male.
• Supports biosocial approach.
Biosocial Approach
Money & Erhdart (1975)
51. Biosocial Approach
Essay Plan
P1 – Bio social Approach explained (interaction)
P2 – Eagly & Wood (Social Role Theory)
P3 – Money – Hypothesised Social roles most important
P4 – AO2 : Further analysis of Buss’s cross cultural study
P5 – AO2 : Social Influence of Gender behaviour (Baby X / Jack in the
box / Mr Blackwell
P6 - AO3 – cross cultural and not-reductionist, accounts for Nature
and Nurture
P7 - AO3 – case studies required, not generalisable
52. Biosocial Approach
Fact or Fib?
The Biosocial
approach
considers social
influences on
gender in
isolation
53. Biosocial Approach
Fact or Fib?
The Biosocial
Approach
examines how
biological and
social factors
interact.
54. Biosocial Approach
Fact or Fib?
Money and
Erhardt argue
that it is the label
(‘male’ or ‘female’)
alone which
causes our
gender identity.
55. Biosocial Approach
Fact or Fib?
Eagly and
Wood’s Social
Role Theory is
similar to
Money and
Erhardt’s
theory.
56. Biosocial Approach
Fact or Fib?
Social Role Theory
suggests that
Evolution is the
main influence on
gender identity.
57. Biosocial Approach
Fact or Fib?
Social Role
Theory: Hormonal
differences might
be a consequence
of differences in
social roles, rather
than the cause.
Notas do Editor
Stafford & Canary (2006)
HW – find evidence for each
Hines = girls with CAH still played with other girls Buss mate choice Tend and Befriend
Baron Cohen S – E brain Buss – mate choice
