Copyright 2010 McGraw-Hill Companies Social Psychology David Myers 10e Copyright 2010 McGraw-Hill Companies

Chapter Five Genes, Culture, and Gender

How Are We Influenced by Human Nature and Cultural Diversity? Genes, Evolution, and Behavior Natural selection Process by which heritable traits that best enable organisms to survive and reproduce in particular environments are passed to ensuing generations Evolutionary psychology Study of the evolution of cognition and behavior using principles of natural selection

How Are We Influenced by Human Nature and Cultural Diversity? Culture and Behavior Culture Enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next Cultural diversity Our behavior is socially programmed One in ten Americans is an immigrant

How Are We Influenced by Human Nature and Cultural Diversity? Culture and Behavior Norms: Expected Behavior Norms Standards for accepted and expected behavior Personal space Buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies

How Are We Influenced by Human Nature and Cultural Diversity? Culture and Behavior Cultural Similarity Universal friendship norms Universal trait dimensions Universal social belief dimensions Universal status norms Incest taboo Norms of war

How Are Gender Similarities and Differences Explained? Characteristics, whether biological or socially influenced, by which people define male and female

How Are Gender Similarities and Differences Explained? Women Men Describe themselves in more relational terms Experience more relationship-linked emotions More empathetic Gravitate toward jobs that reduce inequalities Focus on tasks and on connections with large groups Respond to stress with “fight or flight” response Gravitate toward jobs that enhance inequalities

How Are Gender Similarities and Differences Explained? Social Dominance Men are socially dominant Women’s wages in industrial countries average 77 percent of men’s Men tend to be more autocratic; women more democratic Men take more risks

How Are Gender Similarities and Differences Explained? Aggression Physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone In the U.S., the arrest ratio of male to female is 10 to 1 When provocation occurs the gender gap shrinks Women are slightly more likely to commit indirect aggressive acts Spreading malicious gossip

How Are Gender Similarities and Differences Explained? Sexuality Men: More often think about and initiate sex Women: Are more inspired by emotional passion

Evolution and Gender: Doing What Comes Naturally? Gender and Mating Preferences Men seek out quantity Spreading genes widely Women seek out quality Protecting and nurturing of offspring

Evolution and Gender: Doing What Comes Naturally? Reflections on Evolutionary Psychology Evolutionary psychologists sometimes start with an effect and work backward to construct an explanation Way to overcome the “hindsight bias” is to image things turning our otherwise Evolutionary psychologists disagree with this theory

Sample Predictions Derived from Evolutionary Psychology Figure 5.6

Evolution and Gender: Doing What Comes Naturally? Gender and Hormones Gender gap in aggression seems influenced by testosterone As humans age they become more androgynous Mixing both masculine and feminine characteristics

Culture and Gender: Doing as the Culture Says? Gender Role Set of behavior expectations (norms) for males and females Gender roles vary over culture Gender roles vary over time Figure 5.7

Culture and Gender: Doing as the Culture Says? Peer-Transmitted Culture 50 percent of individual variations in personality traits is by parental nurturing The other 50 percent is peer influence

What Can We Conclude about Genes, Culture, and Gender? Biology and Culture Biology and experience interact when biological traits influence how the environment reacts Figure 5.8