Born That Way or Raised That Way? The Gender Debate, Explained

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Born That Way or Raised That Way? The Gender Debate

Educational Psychology · Chapter 5: Identity, Language, Morality, and the Whole ChildSection 5.8 · lesson 45 of 1009 min · free with a free account

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In this lesson

What the biology shows, how large it is, and what schools can change.

  • Compare biological, social learning and interactionist accounts
  • Evaluate the evidence on hormonal influences and its limits
  • Explain Bem's gender schema theory and schema filtering
  • Apply counter-stereotypic exposure over time

Transcript

Everything said in the video, section by section (1,058 words). Read along, or search it.

Identity, Language, Morality, and the Whole Child

Born That Way or Raised That Way? The Gender Debate

Are boys better at spatial reasoning, or told they are? The honest answer contains both, and the proportions matter enormously. This section covers the nature and nurture debate about gender. We will look at what the biological evidence actually shows. Including one condition that isolates a hormonal effect. Then at how large those effects are, which is the important qualification. Then at Bem's gender schema theory, and why single counter-examples fail. We will compare five theories of gender development. And we will land on the interactionist position. Which is both the accurate one and the useful one for a teacher.

A Contested Question

Determined, Constructed, or Both

Few questions in developmental psychology are as contested as this one. How far are gender differences biologically determined? And how far are they socially constructed? Early researchers tended toward one extreme or the other. Pure biological determinism on one side. Pure social constructionism on the other. Contemporary developmental science has largely converged. The interactionist view holds both halves. Biology sets certain parameters and tendencies. Socialization, culture and experience shape how those are expressed. Expressed, amplified, or suppressed. None of those three verbs is doing nothing.

Why It Matters

The Answer Changes What You Do

This debate is not academic, because the answer changes practice. Suppose differences in performance are primarily biological. Then the appropriate response may be to work with those differences. Suppose instead they are primarily socially constructed. Then educators can, and should, challenge them. The interactionist view says both, which is harder. It asks you to identify where genuine variability exists. While actively dismantling artificial constraints from socialization. That requires telling the two apart in a real classroom. Which is the difficult part, and there is no formula for it. But knowing that both exist is already better than assuming everything is one or the other.

Biological Influences

Hormones, Chromosomes, Brain Structure

Research on biological influences points to three things. Hormones. Chromosomes. And brain structure. Prenatal exposure to androgens has been studied most. Androgens are male hormones, such as testosterone. That exposure has been associated with more physically active play. And with certain spatial ability advantages, in some studies. One line of evidence is particularly striking. Girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia have elevated prenatal androgens. In some research they show increased preference for male-typical toys and play. That matters methodologically. It suggests a hormonal effect on behavior independent of how the child was socialized.

The Qualification

Modest, Variable, Moderated

Now for the qualification, and it is a large one. Biological effects on gender are generally modest. They are variable, and heavily moderated by environment. Modest and variable are doing real work in that sentence. The brain is extraordinarily plastic. Experiences continually shape neural pathways. School environments. Media. Peer interaction. And one popular claim has been largely rejected. The idea that male and female brains are fundamentally different. Neuroscience has not supported it. Most studies find far more overlap than difference. The distributions sit almost entirely on top of each other.

Key Idea

Starting Points, Not Destinations

So here is the key idea, in one phrase. Biological tendencies are starting points, not fixed destinations. That formulation does two things at the same time. It does not deny that biological influences exist. Denying them would simply be false. And it denies that they settle anything about an individual student. Which would also be false. Remember what a population-level tendency actually is. It is a small difference between two overlapping distributions. It tells you very little about the person in front of you. And it tells you nothing at all about the ceiling on what that person can do.

Bem

Gender Schema Theory

Sandra Bem proposed gender schema theory. Children do not simply absorb gender norms passively. They actively construct mental frameworks. Frameworks for what it means to be a girl, a boy, or another gender. And those schemas do something important. They filter. Children notice and remember schema-consistent examples. And they ignore or distort schema-inconsistent ones. Which has a direct consequence for teaching. A single counter-example does not correct a schema. It gets explained away as an exception. So working against rigid schemas is not about contradicting once. It is deliberate, repeated exposure to counter-stereotypic examples.

Five Theories

Claim, Mechanism, Implication

Five theories of gender development, side by side. The biological account says hormones and chromosomes shape gender. Its implication is to recognize natural variation without over-determining. Social learning says gender is learned through observation and reinforcement. Its implication is to model counter-stereotypic behavior. Cognitive-developmental theory says children actively construct gender identity. Its implication is to teach flexible gender categories explicitly. Gender schema theory says children use schemas to organize information. Its implication is to supply schema-inconsistent examples. And the interactionist view says biology and environment interact. Its implication is to address both biology and social context. Four of those five give a teacher something to do this week.

Social Learning

Modeling and Gendered Praise

The social learning account deserves a closer look. It holds that gender is learned through observation and reinforcement. Modeling, rewards, and punishment. It recommends two things in particular. Model counter-stereotypic behavior yourself. And avoid gendered praise. That second one is the quieter of the two. Consider praising one group for being helpful. And another for being clever. That transmits a schema very efficiently. And nobody in the room experiences it as a lesson about gender. Which is exactly why it works.

In Practice

A Scientist Profile Every Unit

Here is schema disruption run as a classroom routine. A high school biology teacher opens every unit the same way. A brief profile of a scientist relevant to that topic. And she rotates deliberately. Across gender, across ethnicity, and across nationality. Women. Non-binary scientists. Researchers from underrepresented backgrounds. Over the semester she observes a change. Female students begin expressing more confidence in STEM discussions. She attributes it in part to schema disruption. And in part to identity affirmation. Note how long it took. A semester of repetition. Which is exactly what schema theory would predict.

Holding Both

What the Interactionist View Asks

So what does the interactionist view actually ask of a teacher? Three things, and the first two are about intellectual honesty. Do not deny biology. Hormonal and chromosomal influences are real. Denying them is not the same as opposing determinism. Do not over-read biology either. The effects are modest, variable, and heavily moderated by environment. Then act on the part you actually control. Socialization is the half of the interaction a classroom operates on. This is the useful position, and it is also the honest one. Educators who overstate biology give up on students who could progress. Educators who deny it entirely lose credibility with anyone who reads.

About Educational Psychology at UPI Study

Educational Psychology (Psychology 120) is a self-paced online course of 100 video lessons in 11 chapters, from memory, conditioning and child development to motivation, individual differences, assessment, instruction and educational technology. It carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits.

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Universities that work with NCCRS

Educational Psychology carries a NCCRS credit recommendation. These universities work with NCCRS; some are UPI Study's signed partners. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Thomas Edison State UniversityThomas Edison State UniversitySigned partnerUniversity of the PeopleUniversity of the PeopleSigned partnerCharter Oak State CollegeCharter Oak State CollegeSigned partnerStrayer UniversityStrayer UniversitySigned partnerColumbia Southern UniversityColumbia Southern UniversitySigned partnerIndiana TechIndiana TechSigned partnerPenn StatePenn StateWorks with NCCRSSouthern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversityWorks with NCCRSSUNYSUNYWorks with NCCRS +many more cooperating universitiesFind my college →

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FAQ

Questions students ask us

About Born That Way or Raised That Way? The Gender Debate

What is the interactionist view of gender development?
The interactionist view holds that gender development results from biology and environment working together. Biology sets certain parameters and tendencies, while socialization, culture and experience shape how those tendencies are expressed, amplified or suppressed. Contemporary developmental science has largely converged on this position rather than pure biological determinism or pure social constructionism. For teachers, it means recognizing real variation while challenging artificial constraints created by socialization.
What does research show about biological influences on gender differences?
Research points to hormones, chromosomes and brain structure. Prenatal androgen exposure has been associated with more physically active play and, in some studies, certain spatial advantages, and girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, who have elevated prenatal androgens, show increased preference for male-typical toys in some research. However, these effects are generally modest, variable and heavily moderated by environment, and studies find far more overlap than difference between male and female brains.
What is Sandra Bem's gender schema theory?
Gender schema theory, proposed by Sandra Bem, holds that children actively build mental frameworks for what it means to be a girl, a boy or another gender, rather than passively absorbing norms. These schemas filter information: children notice and remember schema-consistent examples and ignore or distort inconsistent ones. As a result, a single counter-example tends to be dismissed as an exception, so loosening rigid schemas takes repeated exposure to counter-stereotypic examples.
How does social learning theory explain gender development?
Social learning theory holds that gender is learned through observation and reinforcement, including modeling, rewards and punishment. Children watch how others behave and notice which behaviors are praised. For teachers, this means modeling counter-stereotypic behavior and avoiding gendered praise, such as complimenting one group for being helpful and another for being clever, which quietly transmits gender expectations without anyone noticing.

About the Educational Psychology course

How many college credits is Educational Psychology?
Educational Psychology (Psychology 120) carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
How much does Educational Psychology cost and what is included?
$250, paid once, with lifetime access: all 100 video lessons, a practice quiz after each, the graded work and final exam, and an official transcript when you finish. Students who want several courses choose UPI Study PRO instead.
Which universities accept UPI Study credits?
UPI Study has signed partner agreements with universities such as Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Charter Oak State College, and works with universities such as Penn State, SNHU and SUNY. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Use "Find my college" on this page to check yours.
How long does Educational Psychology take?
It is self-paced with no deadlines. The 100 lessons total about 15 hours of video; most students add reading and practice time and finish in a few weeks to a few months, on their own schedule.
How are the exams done?
Quizzes and assignments are online in the course. The final exam is taken online with proctoring; a person on the UPI Study team checks assignments, usually within two days.
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Ready for the full course? Earn 3 credits in Educational Psychology.

100 video lessons, a quiz after each one, and the graded work that earns the credit. Recommended for credit by NCCRS.

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Educational Psychology
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