Gender Development

Biological Approaches

Biological approaches of gender development propose that gender differentiation is due to the biological differences between males and females. Evolutionary psychologists, such as David Buss and David Geary, focus on the important role of reproduction in the survival of the human species, highlighting that genes leading to successful reproduction are more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations. Given that males and females are faced with different reproductive pressures, they develop and pass on different behaviors leading to reproductive success. For instance, women are limited in the number of children that they can have in their lifetime due to their role in gestation and nourishing their children.

According to the evolutionary perspective, women’s physical responsibilities associated with childbearing explain why they are selective in choosing mates and look for males who show signs of being good long-term providers, ensuring that their limited number of offspring are “high quality.” In contrast, men can never be sure about their paternity, which leads them to seek out multiple sexual partners to increase their chances of reproductive success. This uncertainty is also believed to lead males to be competitive with other males so they can be “chosen” by females as mates. In addition to mate preferences, evolutionary principles have been used to explain gender differences in jealousy, toy preferences, and spatial abilities.

Evolutionary theorists emphasize historical processes to explain gender differences, but other researchers interested in the role of biology have studied more proximal mechanisms, such as genes and hormones. Regarding genes, researchers have typically examined behavioral manifestations associated with chromosomal differences by either manipulating genes in animals or by studying individuals who are born with chromosomal abnormalities (e.g., Turner syndrome). Research on the role of hormones has explored whether direct manipulations or naturally occurring variations of hormones produce changes in behaviors.

Androgens, a hormone that largely contributes to the development of the male phenotype, have [Page 929]received much attention in this research. For instance, studies conducted by Sheri Berenbaum and colleagues have shown that girls who have congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a disorder associated with an excess of androgens prenatally, display more masculine behaviors (e.g., interest in masculine-typed toys, increased aggression) than girls who do not have CAH.

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