AQA A Level Psychology
AQA A Level Psychology 3.3.3 Gender Exam Questions
Free AQA A Level Psychology exam questions for 3.3.3 Gender, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers sex and gender, androgyny, chromosomes and hormones, Klinefelter's and Turner's syndromes, explanations of gender development and atypical gender development.
3.3.3 Gender exam questions
6 question packs of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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About AQA A Level Psychology 3.3.3 Gender
Gender is one of the Option 1 choices on AQA A Level Paper 3, Issues and Options. It asks how biological sex and psychological gender develop and interact. You study sex-role stereotypes and androgyny, the roles of chromosomes and hormones, Klinefelter's and Turner's syndromes, Kohlberg's theory and gender schema theory, Freud's psychodynamic explanation, social learning theory, the influence of culture and media, and atypical gender development. The topic draws on several approaches from Paper 2 and is ideal for nature-nurture and gender bias evaluation from Issues and Debates. Examiners often ask you to apply explanations to a child's behaviour in a scenario.
What you need to know
- Sex, gender and androgyny Sex is biological, gender is psychological and social. Androgyny is displaying a balance of masculine and feminine characteristics and was measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory (1974).
- Chromosomes and hormones Typical females are XX and males XY; the SRY gene on the Y chromosome triggers testes development. Testosterone, oestrogen and oxytocin influence gender-related behaviour.
- Atypical sex chromosome patterns Klinefelter's syndrome (XXY) can involve reduced body hair, breast development and language difficulties. Turner's syndrome (XO) can involve short stature, no menstrual cycle and higher reading ability but lower spatial and mathematical ability.
- Cognitive explanations Kohlberg's theory proposes gender identity (about age 2), gender stability (about 4) and gender constancy (about 6). Gender schema theory (Martin and Halverson, 1981) says children seek gender information once they have basic gender identity, forming in-group and out-group schemas.
- Psychodynamic and social learning explanations Freud proposed gender identity develops in the phallic stage through resolution of the Oedipus or Electra complex and identification with the same-sex parent. SLT emphasises observation, vicarious reinforcement, identification and mediational processes.
- Culture, media and atypical development Cross-cultural research suggests gender roles vary, supporting nurture, while media portray stereotyped roles. Atypical gender development (gender dysphoria) has biological explanations such as brain-sex theory and social explanations.
Common mistakes in 3.3.3 Gender
- Using the terms sex and gender interchangeably; sex refers to biological differences, gender to psychological and cultural ones.
- Getting Kohlberg's stages in the wrong order or confusing stability with constancy; stability is over time, constancy is across situations.
- Saying gender schema theory starts at gender constancy; Martin and Halverson argue it starts once basic gender identity is reached, earlier than Kohlberg suggests.
- Mixing up the chromosome patterns: Klinefelter's is XXY and affects males, Turner's is XO and affects females.
- Describing SLT without the gender-specific example, such as a girl imitating a same-sex model praised for caring behaviour.
Try three 3.3.3 Gender exam-style questions
1. Explain what is meant by androgyny. (2 marks)
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Androgyny is displaying a balance of masculine and feminine characteristics in one's personality; high androgyny is thought to be linked to better psychological wellbeing, as the person can adapt to different situations.
2. Outline gender schema theory. (4 marks)
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Proposed by Martin and Halverson (1981); children develop gender schemas, mental frameworks about gender, from their experiences; this begins once a child has basic gender identity at around 2 to 3 years; children focus on their in-group schema and learn more about their own gender; they ignore or misremember information that does not fit their schemas, such as gender-inconsistent behaviour.
3. Describe the features of Turner's syndrome. (3 marks)
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An atypical sex chromosome pattern in which females have a single X chromosome (XO); physical features include no menstrual cycle, short stature, a webbed neck and broad chest; psychological features include higher than average reading ability but lower spatial, visual memory and mathematical ability, and some social immaturity.
3.3.3 Gender FAQs
What does AQA A Level Psychology Gender cover?
It covers sex and gender, androgyny, chromosomes and hormones, Klinefelter's and Turner's syndromes, Kohlberg's theory, gender schema theory, the psychodynamic and social learning explanations, the influence of culture and media and atypical gender development.
Which paper is Gender examined in?
Gender is an option in Section B (Option 1) of AQA A Level Paper 3, Issues and Options in Psychology.
What ages should I learn for Kohlberg's theory?
Kohlberg suggested gender identity at about 2 years, gender stability at about 4 years and gender constancy at about 6 years, and you should be ready to apply these stages to a child in a scenario.
