Gender Myths

Ahnimus

1. Girls are more "social" than boys.
The two sexes are equally interested in social stimuli, equally responsive to social reinforcement, and equally proficient at learning from social models.
At certain ages, boys actually spend more time than girls with playmates.

2. Girls are more "suggestible" than boys.
Most studies of children's conformity find no sex differences. However, sometimes boys are more likely than girls to accept peer-group values that conflict with their own.

3. Girls have lower self-esteem than boys
The sexes are highly similar in the overall self-satiffaction and self-confidence throughout childhood and adolescence. More boys than girls show gains in self-esteem over the course of adolescence, possibly reflecting the greater freedom and encouragement that males receive to pursue instrumental rols (Block & Robbins, 1993).

4. Girls are better at simple repetitive tasks, whereas boys excel at tasks that require higher-level cognitive processing.
The evidence does not support these assertions. Neither sex is superior at rote learning, probability learning or concept formation.

5. Boys are more "analytic" than girls.
With the exception of the small sex differences [spatial/visual] in cognitive abilities that we have already discussed, boys and girls do not differ on tests of analytical or logical reasoning.

6. Girls lack achievement motivation.
No such differences exist! Perhaps the myth of lesser achievement motivation for females has persisted because males and females have generally directed their achievement strivings toward different goals.

Maccoby and Jacklin (1974)

a... likely explanation for the perpetuation of "myths" is the fact that stereotypes are such powerful things. An ancient truth is worth restating here: if a generalization about a group of people is believed, whenever a member of the group behaves in expected way the observer notes it and his belief is confirmed and strengthened; when a member of the group behaves in a way that is not consistent with the observer's expectations, the instance is likely to pass unnoticed, and the observer's generalized belief is protected from disconfirmation.... [This] well-documented [selective attention] ... process ... results in the perpetuation of myths that would otherwise die out under the impact of negative evidence. (P. 355)

The differences mentioned earlier in the chapter are averaged out over large sample groups. The average differences typically amount to about 5%. The large differences we typically experience in our cultures are the results of cultural gender-typing and not biological propensities.

Adapted from Fifth Edition Developmental Pscyhology: Childhood and Adolescence by David R. Schaffer

jeffbr

Thanks, Ahnimus. These are interesting. I have both a son and a daughter, and have always been interested in seeing them break stereotype.

Are there gender non-myths (true differences) you've come across? I know males are considered to have a higher aptitude for spacial problems. I know in my experiences I've seen this to be the case. But I don't know if it is actually the case.

Ahnimus

jeffbr wrote:

Thanks, Ahnimus. These are interesting. I have both a son and a daughter, and have always been interested in seeing them break stereotype.

Are there gender non-myths (true differences) you've come across? I know males are considered to have a higher aptitude for spacial problems. I know in my experiences I've seen this to be the case. But I don't know if it is actually the case.

The real differences are the typical ones, male mathematical ability, female emotions and male spatial/visual abilities, girls are typically more compliant and boys are more susceptible to prenatal and perinatal development disorders, males are more overtly aggressive, girls are more covert in their aggression, males are more active and larger risk takers and girls greater verbal ability. However, these differences are minor, only about 5% averaged out over large sample groups. These differences seem to be increased by cultural gender-typing. Unfortunately it is difficult to counteract cultural influences.

Ahnimus

In one study (Condry & Condry, 1976), college students watched a videotape of a 9-month-old child who was introduced as either a girl ("Dana") or a boy ("David"). As the students observed the child at play, they were asked to interpret his/her reactions to toys such as a teddy bear or a jack-in-the-box. The resulting impressions of the infant's behavior clearly depended on his or her presumed sex. For example, a strong reaction to the jack-in-the-box was labeled "anger" when the child was presumed to be a boy and "fear when the child had been introduced as a girl (see also Burnham & Harris, 1992).

Fifth Edition Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence pg. 479

genie

how can i disagree with everything you wrote in here!? good thread

Ahnimus

Jeffbr. I commend you for trying to break stereotypes. Unfortunately these stereotypes tend to get a kick-off even before the child is born. If the child is known to be a girl, they will usually be clothed in pink and admired for their "cuteness" once they are born. Whereas boys are typically clothed in blue, and statements like "such vigor" and "hey tiger" are common amongst parents. From the time they are born children are brought up in families that unknowingly perpetuated a stereotype that is not based in fact.

This is not true across all cultures, but most western industrialized nations share these stereotypes. It could be why I see more asian men wearing pink shirts than any other men.

Ahnimus

genie wrote:

how can i disagree with everything you wrote in here!? good thread

Well, you could disagree with it, but I'd expect some kind of citations to reasearch

I know I started a similar thread about a year ago. But I'm afraid it didn't have the impact I was looking for. Gender stereotypes are rampant.

genie

Ahnimus wrote:

Well, you could disagree with it, but I'd expect some kind of citations to reasearch

I know I started a similar thread about a year ago. But I'm afraid it didn't have the impact I was looking for. Gender stereotypes are rampant.

your thread is in my favour, so i wouldn't dare to comment otherwise. but i would like to ask you why you think boys do better at maths? becuase i assumed both sexes did equally well. and when you answer please show me some sort of evidence.

Ahnimus

genie wrote:

your thread is in my favour, so i wouldn't dare to comment otherwise. but i would like to ask you why you think boys do better at maths? becuase i assumed both sexes did equally well. and when you answer please show me some sort of evidence.

There is only a minor difference, presumably a result of boys spatial/visual reasoning. However, girls actually exceed boys in computational skills. The main causes of end differences are the ways parents and teachers respond to successes and failures. They tend to reward boys for their abilities, and reward girls for their efforts. Among high math acheivers more males than females excel at math (Stumpf & Stanley, 1996).

As I said though, the real gender differences are so small they can actually be ignored all together.

genie

Ahnimus wrote:

There is only a minor difference, presumably a result of boys spatial/visual reasoning. However, girls actually exceed boys in computational skills. The main causes of end differences are the ways parents and teachers respond to successes and failures. They tend to reward boys for their abilities, and reward girls for their efforts. Among high math acheivers more males than females excel at math (Stumpf & Stanley, 1996).

As I said though, the real gender differences are so small they can actually be ignored all together.

ok, thank you for clearing that out.

OutOfBreath

Great post, Ahnimus. It can't be said too often how much bullshit is rolled into the gender stereotypes. I don't really have that much to add, I'm just saying "hear, hear" really.

Peace
Dan

soulsinging

jeffbr wrote:

Thanks, Ahnimus. These are interesting. I have both a son and a daughter, and have always been interested in seeing them break stereotype.

Are there gender non-myths (true differences) you've come across? I know males are considered to have a higher aptitude for spacial problems. I know in my experiences I've seen this to be the case. But I don't know if it is actually the case.

watching my gf try to read a map, i can pretty comfortably say that's true

as to the OP, where did those myths come from? i think i have title to resident sexist bastard on here but i'd never have given credit to any of that nonsense, aside maybe from number 1.

catefrances

soulsinging wrote:

watching my gf try to read a map, i can pretty comfortably say that's true

just like guys NEVER ask for directions cause it somehow diminishes their manliness. :rolleyes:

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

bitches is crazy, dawg! know what I'm sayin'?

Cosmo

Girls can smell other girls on your breath... this is true.

soulsinging

catefrances wrote:

just like guys NEVER ask for directions cause it somehow diminishes their manliness. :rolleyes:

i ask for directions all the time, just never from women. watching them try to apply the picture on the map to the reality around them is like watching president bush try to discuss the middle east without mentioning 9/11 and freedom.

Jeanie

soulsinging wrote:

i ask for directions all the time, just never from women. watching them try to apply the picture on the map to the reality around them is like watching president bush try to discuss the middle east without mentioning 9/11 and freedom.

You'll be right. You wouldn't be driving if you were in my car anyway, in which case directions are irrelevent. You'd be just sitting there, shutting the f**k up and watching the world pass you by.

Cosmo

soulsinging wrote:

i ask for directions all the time, just never from women. watching them try to apply the picture on the map to the reality around them is like watching president bush try to discuss the middle east without mentioning 9/11 and freedom.

...
I don't ask directions because it is more likely than not... the fool you ask hasn't a fucking clue where he is.
Case in point...
I was at a 7-11 that was near where 3 freeways intersected. I asked the guy behind the counter and 2 people inside, which freeway was right outside the front door. None of them knew.

soulsinging

Cosmo wrote:

...
I don't ask directions because it is more likely than not... the fool you ask hasn't a fucking clue where he is.
Case in point...
I was at a 7-11 that was near where 3 freeways intersected. I asked the guy behind the counter and 2 people inside, which freeway was right outside the front door. None of them knew.

did they not know or did they just not understand a question asked in english?

soulsinging

Jeanie wrote:

You'll be right. You wouldn't be driving if you were in my car anyway, in which case directions are irrelevent. You'd be just sitting there, shutting the f**k up and watching the world pass you by.

exactly. key difference. i can sit passenger and let the driver do their thing. i've yet to meet a woman who can sit quietly for a 5 minute ride without offering some sort of nagging critique of how i should be doing something differently

Jeanie

soulsinging wrote:

exactly. key difference. i can sit passenger and let the driver do their thing. i've yet to meet a woman who can sit quietly for a 5 minute ride without offering some sort of nagging critique of how i should be doing something differently

Well as long as I wasn't in fear of my life from your aggressive and stupid driving techniques you'd never hear a sound out of me.