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gender research

the study of issues related to femininity, masculinity, sexuality, and gay, lesbian, and transsexual concerns. Gender research may involve qualitative studies that use focus groups or interviews to understand behavior as well as quantitative analyses that examine potential gender group differences or prediction models. For example, traditional research has assessed whether there are significant group differences between men and women on math and science performance. More recently times, more complex prediction models have been examined to demonstrate that multiple factors are needed to understand performance, such as cultural norms and expectations.

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Psychology term of the day

December 7th 2024

sex differentiation

sex differentiation

the process of acquiring distinctive sexual features during the course of development. Human sexual differentiation is determined genetically at the time of fertilization, primarily by the presence or absence of a Y chromosome. Fertilized eggs containing a Y chromosome develop as male embryos, whereas ones lacking a Y chromosome develop as females. This is due to the presence on the Y chromosome of a particular gene, called SRY (sex reversal on Y). It encodes a testis-determining factor that, via a cascade of signals, triggers the development of testes and other male reproductive organs. In the absence of this gene, the embryo develops along the default pathway, with ovaries and other female organs.