Gender identity: definitions, development, and social dimensions

Psychology - Gender Identity

THE ROLE of HORMONES and BEHAVIOR in GENDER IDENTITY

In human beings and most other vertebrate animal species, behavior differs substantially between males and females. Hormones are primarily responsible for these differences; however, in the case of human beings, the sheer complexity of human cognition and learning increases the potential influence of society and other environmental influences on the behavior of the individual. Undoubtedly, hormones play a major role in gender identity, but probably in conjunction with external factors rather than in the one-dimensional way that hormones determine behavior in non-human animals.

Hormones and Gender Identity:

In humans and many other biological species, hormones begin to influence gender assignment long before birth (Gerrig & Zimbardo 2005). In many reptile species, for example, the process is relatively simple in that different external temperatures trigger the predominance of specific sex hormones that result in the gender selection of developing embryos, still within the un-hatched egg (Zuk 2002).

The process by which gender is determined during gestation is much more complex in humans, but a variation in maternal hormone levels is known to influence many aspects of gender identity and behavior. In fact, the statistical differences observed in various aspects of gender behavior related to birth order are mainly functions of the effects on the mother of previous exposure to male hormones from earlier births. Among other things, males with older male siblings are more likely to be homosexual than first- born human males (Gerrig & Zimbardo 2005).

Hormones exert their most profound post-birth influence on human gender identity during puberty when they trigger secondary sex characteristics that dramatically distinguish human males from females in appearance and behavior. After puberty, gender-identity-related behavior is directly determined by hormonal influence and even more pronounced than pre-pubertal behavioral differences. Prior to puberty and the onset of secondary sex characteristics, gender-based behavioral differences are influenced by hormones as well, but also by external factors in the social environment (Gerrig & Zimbardo 2005).

Environmental Influences and Gender Identity: Human behavior is extremely susceptible to social influences in every respect, including, but hardly limited to gender identity. At first glance, the gender-based behavioral differences observable in pre-pubertal children are usually consistent with those characteristic of adult gender-based behavioral differences. However, it is difficult to attribute these differences exclusively to biological factors since human children are also socialized toward gender norms practically from birth (Macionis 2002).

Typically, male and female infants are presented with very different types of toys and encouraged to pursue very different activities throughout childhood. Female infants are dressed in pink and encouraged to participate in certain types of games and interactions, such as those that emphasize cooperative activities. Meanwhile, male infants are dressed in blue, presented with toys that reflect societal roles consistent with cultural concepts of masculinity and encouraged to pursue games and activities that emphasize competition and more physical pursuits.

Therefore, in many respects, the respective tendencies of male and female children to exhibit characteristic behaviors associated with gender are highly influenced by external environmental factors as well as hormonal factors, making it difficult to understand exactly how much each set of factors is responsible for apparent gender-based behavioral differences. In that respect, some of the most useful information comes from individuals with gender-identity issues that persist in spite of strong environmental influences (Gerrig & Zimbardo 2005).: