The biosocial
Approach to
gender
development
Gender ­ Topic 3…read more

Money + Ehrhardt
(1972)
Once a biological male or female is born,
social labelling and the different way boys
and girls are treated interacts with
biological factors such as hormones to
steer development
Biology is likely to determine the sex the
baby is reared as.
Biosocial A baby is sexed at birth and everything else
Theory follows from that e.g. baby girls dressed in
dresses, baby boys wear blue
AO1 Some individuals are intersex and may be
mistyped at birth
They predicted that if a genetic male was
labelled as a girl before 3 years old he
would acquire the gender identity of a girl
Thus, the key to gender development is the
label a person is given…read more

There is a lack of evidence to support the
theory
The study of Dr Money and the Boy with
Lack of No Penis ended by discrediting the theory
and instead illustrating that biological sex
Evidence us the main factor in someone's sense of
gender
AO2 This discredits the theory as there is a lack
of research to support it!…read more

There is also a sample bias in Money and
Ehrhardts evidence.
This is because their evidence used
abnormal individuals
Sample For example the study of genetic females
exposed to male hormones by their
Bias AO2 mothers taking drugs prenatally is an
abnormal sample
Therefore this evidence may not apply to
gender development
This further discredits their research…read more

Eagly and Wood
approach
(1999)
Social role theory is described as the biosocial
Social The evolutionary explanation according to Eagly
and Wood isn't correct.
Role According to the social role theory:
Theory selective pressure caused physical difference in
males and females
AO1 this then led to different male and female social
roles
As a result men and women developed
psychological differences…read more

Evolutiona Social
ry
Selective pressure led
Role
Selective pressure
to... led to...
...physical
...physical differences
differences between
between men and
Evolutionar women. Which led to...
men and women.
Which led to...
y
Vs Social ... psychological ...Different social
Role differences between
men and women. Which
roles for men and
women. Which led
led to... to...
... psychological
...Different social roles
differences between
for men and women
men and women…read more