Biosocial approach

PSYA3: Aggression

Aggression - SLT

• We behave aggressively because we imitate the violent behaviour observed from others.

• Our environment is to blame for people’s aggressive behaviour

Aggression - Deindividuation

• Deindividuation – the loss of individuality and subsequent feelings of responsibility

• How we can become deindividuated…

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

Ways you can become Deindividuated…

• 2. Wearing a Uniform…

• 3. Being part of a Crowd…

Institutional Aggression

• 1. Situational Argument

– Deprivation Model

• 2. Dispositional Argument

– Importation Model

Aggression – Biological Explanations

• People behave aggressively because it is in their Nature


• Neurological Explanations

• Hormonal 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

Aggression – Evolutionary Explanation

Evolutionary Psychology…• All of our behaviour now

was once beneficial to us as primates.

• 2 Key Goals… • 1. SURVIVE• 2. REPRODUCE

Aggression – Evolutionary Explanations

• Why was aggression once an adaptive behaviour?

• Mate competition * Survival of Gene

pool

Aggression – Evolutionary explanations of Group Displays

• Evolutionary benefits of being in a group

• Costly Signaling

• Deter Free-riders

• Threaten Out-Groups

PSYA3: Relationships

Relationship Formation

• Matching Hypothesis

• Filter Model

• Reward/Need Satisfaction

DAN

Murstein

Byrne & Clore

(1970)

Operant Cond.

Walster et al

(1966)

Kerckhoff &Davis (1962)

Relationship Maintenance

• Social Exchange Theory (SET)

• Equity Theory

• Investment Model

1. CBA2. CL

3. CL-ALT

Walster et al (1978) Fairness

1. Sat.2. CL-ALT

3. INVESTMENT

Relationship Breakdown

• Duck – Lack of Stimulation / Lack of Skill

• Duck & Rollie - BIPDSGDR

Sexual Selection

• Buss (1989) – mate selection reflects evolution

• Short term strategies used by men

• Hour glass figure = fertility

• Female most fertile = more masculine men

Parental Investment

• Maternal/Paternal pre/post natal investment

• Pre natal / Post natal investment

• Parent-Infant Conflict

• Sibling Rivalry

Influence of Childhood

• Hazan & Shaver – Continuity Hypothesis

• Attachment type and IWM

• Security and social competence / security in relationships

Influence of Culture

• Collectivist vs. Individualist

• Arranged marriage (voluntary/Involuntary)

• Social Mobility – greater partner choice

• (Levine; Gupta & Singh; Epstein)

PSYA3:Gender

Kohlberg’s Gender Constancy Theory

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

PSYA3:Gender

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 -?

Over exposure to testosteroneNo difference in play preferences

David Reimer

Batista FamilyDeady et al

Number of Children & Testosterone

PSYA3:Gender

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

Neanderthals Kuhn & Stiner

(2006)

Cross-cultural mate choiceBuss (1989)

Brain scansBaron-Cohen

(2002)

Stress Response

Ennis (2002)

Gender: Biosocial ApproachTo Start: Evolutionary A03 5 minutes

Complete the gap fill following on from last lesson on evaluation for the evolutionary approach of gender.

PSYA3:Gender

PSYA3:Gender Biosocial Theory

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?

Gender: Biosocial Approach

Gender: Biosocial ApproachTask: ‘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 girlB: a baby boy

Gender: Biosocial ApproachWhat 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.

Gender: Biosocial ApproachWhat 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!)

Gender: Biosocial ApproachSocial Roles for Men and Women

Men Women

Gender: Biosocial ApproachSex Roles 5 Minutes

Biological

Physical SocialBoth

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.

Gender: Biosocial ApproachThe 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!

Gender: Biosocial ApproachBiosocial 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?

Gender: Biosocial ApproachEagly & 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.

PSYA3:Gender Biosocial Theory

Gender: Biosocial ApproachEagly & Wood (2002)

Your biology effects how people in

society act towards you

• 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.

Gender: Biosocial Approach

Gender: Biosocial ApproachTask

20 Minutes

Use the worksheets to summarise the 2 studies in exam appropriate AO2

Think about possible AO3

Gender: Biosocial ApproachBuss (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.

Baby X Baby Y experiment

Smith and Lloyd (1978)

Gender: Biosocial ApproachCondry & 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.

• 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.

Gender: Biosocial ApproachMoney & Erhdart (1975)

Gender: Biosocial ApproachAO3

Gender

Reductionist

Ethical Guidelines?

Nature vs. Nurture

Animal Studies

Determinsm vs. Free Will

Ethnocentricism

Gender: Biosocial ApproachEssay PlanP1 – 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 NurtureP7 - AO3 – case studies required, not generalisable

Gender: Biosocial ApproachFact or Fib?

The Biosocial approach considers social influences on gender in isolation


The Biosocial Approach examines how biological and social factors interact.


Money and Erhardt argue that it is the label (‘male’ or ‘female’) alone which causes our gender identity.

Gender: Biosocial ApproachFact or Fib? Eagly and Wood’s Social Role Theory is similar to Money and Erhardt’s theory.


Social Role Theory suggests that Evolution is the main influence on gender identity.


Social Role Theory: Hormonal differences might be a consequence of differences in social roles, rather than the cause.

Science

Biosocial approach