Hormonal and environmental influences on gender identity development

GENDER IDENTITY Explain interaction hormones behavior interactions affect determination gender identity. Address paper: Include roles biological factors - nature- environmental influences-nutrue- sexual differentiation gender identity.

The interaction between hormones and behavior

Essentially, the difference in the brain of males and females is mostly realized in the concepts of sex and gender aspects. Most of these realizations have been made in the recent years as researchers have focused on the structure and functionalism of the human brain. In this regard, it is realized that particular human characteristics realized in certain individuals usually relate to a particular structure of the brain of such individuals. For instance, it has been established that most students who are good in mathematics will usually have a particular brain structure coupled with certain complexities like allergies and shortsightedness Garrett, 2003.

Such unrelated characteristics usually result out of certain conditions both prenatal and postnatal.

Studies have demonstrated that most women usually perform better in tasks that require verbal skills and spatial coordination in certain periods when the production of the sex hormone estrogen is high in the body Gollnick, 2011.

In the same way, it is also realized that women also perform better in tasks that require less coordination when the production of estrogen is low in the body Jersild, 1999.

However, it is not yet clear to what extent the biological factors might really account for the sex differences realized in humans.

Much evidence is certainly arising on the very differences between men and women as a consequence of the different hormones produced in the respective bodies. In any case, the human brain is a great determinant of the behavior and conduct of humans. For instance, the hypothalamus part of the brain actually determines and controls the sexual functioning of the body James, 2001.

Nevertheless, it has also been realized that other factors such as the environment will usually play a major role in the determination of human behavior since such factors usually affect the production of hormones that account for sex and gender differences.

Nature and nurture

Gender stereotypes have made many people feel that there are many differences in the behavior of males and females. On the contrary, the real fact is normally quite astonishing. Much of the research and focus has always been geared towards the differences between these different genders while little attention is drawn on the similarities between males and females. It is imperative to realize that there are usually more similarities than differences in the behavior of males and females. In any case, while certain differences might usually exist, several overlaps are frequently realized in the behavior of the human race. As such, while it would be possible and correct to state that males are usually more aggressive than females in life, it is important to realize that several women are always more aggressive than most men. In this case, the overlap in behavior certainly supersedes the very discrepancy between the sexes as realized in males and females.

In a way, the nature-nurture aspect is therefore a very fundamental concept in psychology as a functional area in human behavior and gender identity. Gender identity arises out of a combination of environmental influences and genetic predisposition of a person. The ways human beings teach and develop their children has gradually resulted from a combination of heredity and environmental factors around us Parke, 2010.

Therefore, education is part of this important determinant of the gender identity and is usually influenced by the link between biology and environment while gender identity becomes the resulting case.

At its basic connotation, gender identity refers to the individual conception of a person as either male or female. It is a way in which human beings identify themselves as either males or females through aspects such as behavior. Gender is a product of psychological, biological and sociological factors. Sexual organs and sexual orientation are therefore the core elements of gender identity Wickens, 2000()

Biological factors usually play a great role in this identity since the different genders are born with very distinctive differences in their biological make up. Secondary sexual characteristics usually emerge as the children grow into puberty. In any case, these differences are often determined by the hormones that are produced in the body. When children reach puberty, the release of these hormones usually creates a lot of sexual and hormonal differentiation between the females and males Bronson & Merryman, 2009.

In this regard, males usually develop deeper voices, body hair and the enlargement of the sexual organs. On the other hand, females will usually realize the onset of menstruation, broadening of hips and the development of body hair.

Indeed, hormones are seen to have much influence on the behavior of human beings as they get produced in the body. Research has demonstrated that certain hormonal activities in the body normally create hostility. Human aggression is therefore connected to the effects of androgens in the body. Testosterone for instance is realized to have varying degrees on the emotions of people hence causes aggressive behavior in some people. Hormonal effect in the human body is normally at its peak during puberty and the prenatal periods when much of these hormones are produced Segall & Wilson, 2004.

Therefore, any anomalies in the production of hormones in the prenatal stage will usually result in instances of confused sexual identity in the individual. For instance, it is not uncommon to see girls who typically resemble boys in their attitudes, character and sexuality.

Four theories have been put forward as explanations for the human behavior with respect to the gender issue. Sigmund Freud came up with three theories in an attempt to shed light on this concept. These include: the cognitive social learning theory, identification and gender schema theories Freud & Strachey, 1999a ()

. On the other hand, Kohlberg came up with the cognitive developmental theory which states that children mostly depend on the physical world and behavior around them in order to discern and fall into the appropriate gender type at the very early age in life.

According to Freud, the concept of gender identity begins at around the age of five when children begin to perceive their bodies. In this way, most male children begin to develop a love for their mothers and usually compete with their fathers for this love. Male children also begin to understand the strength of their fathers and thereby emulate them and adopt their features. On the contrary, girls usually feel submissive and inadequate and develop an opposite feeling to the males Chrisler & McCreary, 2010.

Therefore, according to Freud, children are born into the world as pure and psychosexuality neutral and are only shaped by the very environment around them before adopting the appropriate behaviors with relation to their respective genders.

The environment, biology and psychology usually affect gender identity to a very large extent. In many cases, the environmental factors have far much more influence than the others. When children go to school, the classroom defines their gender identity in the very similar way they often realize back at home. For instance boys are expected to perform better in mathematics than girls and this helps to create a sense of gender identity in the boys and girls as they go to school Freud & Strachey, 1999b ()

. As the children mature and become young adults more of these expectations in the differences, in their roles, continue to open up as they learn and face challenges in the course of their lives. In any case, children who grow up in single parent backgrounds usually develop certain behavior patterns which arise out of the discrepancy they face. The family unit is therefore a major determinant of gender identity in human beings as can be frequently realized in many families Watson, 2005()

The influence of biology on gender identity is geared majorly on the functions of hormones and the cerebral lateralization of the brain. Biologically, the gender of an individual is determined before birth. However, this identity is normally with respect to sexual identity. The lateralization of the brain and hormonal production play a great role in the overall gender identity of an individual Fisher, 2010.

The specific hormones that determine sexual characteristics in humans are usually produced in varying amounts in males and females at the different ages.

Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that a lot of bilateralism is realized in female brains than in male brains. The brain structure in the males is more lateralized and consequently more organized and this explains the propensity of males to succeed in mathematical tasks and spatial activities than their female counterparts Pinel, 2007.

In any case, it still holds that several overlaps are still to be expected and these conclusions do not usually reflect the overall behaviors of the human race. In most cases, these overlaps just indicate the very opposite of what has been demonstrated my many of these research undertakings.

In a way, it is very difficult to explicitly state which of these factors between nature and nurture have influence on the behavior of an individual with respect to gender identity Stewart, 2001.

However, nature determines gender as a one-time process before birth while the environment greatly shapes the understanding of the individual. In this regard, nurture plays a major role than nature in gender identity of an individual as it affects the behavior of an individual for a very long duration of time The Determination of Gender Identity and Biopsychology | Beate Landgraf -- " Praxis fur Psychotherapie (HPG). (n.d.). Beate Landgraf -- " Praxis fur Psychotherapie (HPG)()

. In any case, when male and female children are subjected to the same environmental conditions and roles from the very early age, they will develop more or less the same behaviors and this will actually be a consequence of the environmental conditions around them Erikson, 2000()

In the same way, the arguments on sexual identity are best addressed by biopsychology which clearly helps to shed light and elucidate on the very functional aspects of gender identity and human behavior Damon, 2001.

In sum, it is therefore realized that gender identity is certainly shaped by a combination of several factors which usually affect human behavior and create a sense of identity in them. In the same way, behavior is largely determined by hormonal activity in the body.