Study Guide for Psychology of Gender Exam 2:
Interpersonal sensitivity, intimacy styles, sexual orientation
Theories and concepts to understand
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How do males and females differ on average in various measures of
interpersonal sensitivity? Where are the differences smaller vs. larger?
How does the way in which empathy is measured affect whether sex differences
are found?
Simon Baron-Cohen’s ideas about gender and empathizing vs. systemizing,
problems with his measurement of each (EQ and SQ)
Fine’s discussion of problems with assumptions about whether systemizing is
actually more important than empathizing in predicting success in science,
problems with assumptions about which toys reflect empathizing vs.
systemizing
How does social evolution theory explain sex differences in interpersonal
sensitivity? Criticisms of this explanation?
Status and power explanation for sex differences in interpersonal sensitivity
Innate sex differences in circulating hormone theory of sex differences in
interpersonal sensitivity
o Problems with causality in hormone research
o Cycles of hormones in adult women, adult men
o Likely role of oxytocin in motivation to be “sensitive”
o In what situations are oxytocin levels higher than usual?
Communication styles in male vs. female subculture
How, on average, do the intimacy styles of males and females differ? Why?
Why is women’s intimacy style taken as the norm?
How is this portrayed in the popular media?
Erotic-becomes-exotic theory of sexual orientation
o Proposed role of childhood gender nonconformity
o Interaction between innate and social factors
o Criticisms
Fluidity of female vs. male sexual orientation, possible reasons for this difference
Relevant evidence/research to know
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Experiment in which males were given oxytocin or placebo, and interpersonal
sensitivity was then measured
Deborah Tannen’s research on conversation styles of males vs. females at
different ages
Snodgrass (1985) study of effects of subordinate role on interpersonal
sensitivity—methods, results, reasons for results-- How do her results support
the idea that "'women's intuition' would perhaps more accurately be referred to
as 'subordinate's intuition'"?
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Problems with the most commonly used measure of interpersonal sensitivity
(PONS), according to Fine
Klein & Hodges study (cited in Fine Delusions of Gender) in which participants
were paid for correct scores on an interpersonal sensitivity test
Koenig & Eagly’s study (cited in Fine) in which an interpersonal sensitivity test
was labeled in different ways
Baron-Cohen and Connellan’s study in which babies looked at faces and mobiles
o Methods of the study
o Problems with the methods, according to Fine
o How have the results been used by other writers and popularizers?
o How much attention has this study received?
o What do studies with better methods show?
Servick’s summary of the search for a “gay gene”—research results, problems
Lisa Diamond’s longitudinal study of women’s sexual orientation—participants,
results, implications
Preliminary results of Diamond’s new longitudinal study including men
Rudder research on bisexuality using OK Cupid posts
Terms
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Oxytocin
Empathizing
Systemizing