Gender Dysphoria - Gender

Question 1

What is the BSTc?

Answer 1

Part of the hypothalamus responsible for sexual behaviour - fully developed by age 5

Question 2

How might gender dysphoria be caused by BSTc?

Answer 2

A male may have a female BSTc:

- Zhou found males who wanted to be females had a BSTc which was the same size as a heterosexual female.

Question 3

What did Kruijver et al find?

Answer 3

Male to female transexuals had a similar no. of neurones to females

Question 4

How does PAS relate to Kruijver’s study?

Answer 4

Testing neurones = very objective. BUT very limited sample and not sure if these men have taken female hormones

Question 5

What did Chung et al find to oppose Kruijver and Zhou?

Answer 5

BSTc develops in adulthood. Hormones levels which are present from birth remain dormant till adulthood and then become active = hormones cause desire to change sex (N/N - hormones caused by genes)

Question 6

How does the family influence explanation explain gender dysphoria in terms of mother and father relationships?

Answer 6

For boys who want to be girls there may be an over close relationship with mum but distant dad: SLT = learn from modelling mother (N/N)

Question 7

How can the inability to mourn a parent or an important attachment figure in early life lead to gender dysphoria?

Answer 7

Internalise qualities of individual to keep them alive = boys may want to become mother or caregiver who has died

Question 8

How does SSNR relate to family influence?

Answer 8

Suggests its the fault of the family. Creates more difficulty for parents

Question 9

What did Di Ceglie do?

Answer 9

Case study of James:

• Mainly looked after by grandmother, involved in many female activities
• When grandmother died he developed GD
• After therapy his conditioned disappeared

Question 10

How does the case study of James support family influence?

Answer 10

Shows GD developed as a result of being unable to mourn an attachment figure

Question 11

How does PAS and N/N relate to the case study of James?

Answer 11

PAS: Just because this happen one doesn’t mean its the same for everyone
N/N: Shows the effect of nurture on James (SLT)

Question 12

What did Reker find?

Answer 12

Looked at boys who had a history of cross dressing.
- 75% of the most ‘disturbed’ boys had no father figure compared to 21% in least ‘disturbed’.
Supports: absence of father figure

Question 13

How might parents actions cause GD?

Answer 13

Parents may have a strong desire for their child to be a certain sex = may reinforce gender inappropriate behaviour