10.1.1 Differences between Sex & Gender

Sex: Refers to the biological differences between males and females, including chromosomes (XX for females, XY for males), hormones, and anatomy.

Gender: Refers to the psychological and cultural differences between males and females, encompassing attitudes, behaviours, and social roles.

Sex-Role Stereotypes

• Definition: A set of beliefs about what is considered appropriate or expected for males and females in a given society. These stereotypes are often reinforced by parents, peers, and cultural norms.

Case Study: The Batista Boys

The Batista boys were born as females but later revealed their male sex due to delayed production of dihydrotestosterone. Once their male sex was revealed, they quickly adopted male gender roles.

Research: Ingalhalikar et al. (2014)

Study: Ingalhalikar and colleagues conducted an MRI study on 949 males and females, mapping the connections between different parts of the brain.

Findings: The study found that females have significantly better connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, while males showed more intense activity in the cerebellum, which controls motor skills.

• Conclusion: The findings suggest that female brains may be hard-wired to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, whereas male brains may be better suited to focusing on a single complex task.