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Establishment of Rat Models Mimicking Gender-affirming Hormone Therapies

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Patterns of gender development.

Carol Lynn Martin¹, Diane N Ruble

¹Arizona State University, School of Social and Family Dynamics, Program in Family and Human Development, Tempe, Arizona 85287-3701, USA. cmartin@asu.edu

Annual Review of Psychology

|July 7, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This review explores gender development, examining how children learn gender distinctions and stereotypes, and introduces dynamic systems theory as a new framework for understanding stability and change over time.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Social Psychology
Gender Studies

Background:

Gender development theories must explain both long-term patterns and short-term experiences.
Developmental research examines age-related changes, individual differences, and stability over time.

Purpose of the Study:

To review multiple perspectives on gender development and patterning.
To illustrate these views with contemporary research and examples.
To introduce dynamic systems theory as a novel framework for studying gender development.

Main Methods:

Literature review of developmental research on gender.
Analysis of studies on gender recognition, stereotypes, prejudice, and sexism.
Exploration of stability in sex segregation, activities, and interests.
Introduction to dynamic systems theory and its application to gender development.

Main Results:

Children's recognition of gender distinctions and understanding of stereotypes are key developmental topics.
Stability in individual differences, such as sex segregation and interests, provides insights into developmental processes.
Dynamic systems theory offers a new metatheoretical approach to understanding stability and change in gender development.

Conclusions:

A comprehensive theory of gender development requires integrating long-term patterns with short-term experiences.
Dynamic systems theory presents a promising framework for advancing the study of developmental patterns in gender.
Further application of dynamic systems approaches can enhance our understanding of gender development.