Biological and Social Construction of Gender Differences and Similarities: A Psychological Perspective

Abstract

Eds.) (2004). The psychology of gender (2nd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press. $48.00. 358 pp. Hardback.At the split second when the tiny sperm and germ meet and merge against all odds, not just the sex of the new human being is established, but many other important aspects in his or her entire later life are predetermined to a certain degree Á/ what clothes should/not be worn, what words should/not be said, what behaviors should/ not be preformed, what responsibility should be taken as obligatory, etc. Among the genres of research that try to untangle the mystery, a psychological perspective is a more convictive one in that it goes deeply to the root of all the problems Á/ the human mind, where the whole non-natural world has originated from. To answer what gender differences and similarities are, and to explain why, how and when gender has an impact on life, three researchers made their contributions by compiling a systematic collection of theoretical explanations in their co-edited book The Psychology of Gender. Overview of Contents Biological ProcessesIn chapter two, the authors argue that prenatal environment and exposure to estrogen and androgen can not only influence human brain development, but also childhood play behavior, core gender identity, personality, sexual orientation, cognition and language lateralization, and hand preferences. Chapter three reviews the activational effects of reproductive hormones on cognition including perceptions, thoughts, moods, and characteristics, comparing the different effects between men and women. Hormones are not the only things that can explain gender differences.

Gender Differences in Academic Achievement in Saudi Arabia: A Wake-Up Call to Educational Leaders

“…Findings from this study, therefore, bring a unique perspective to the debates on gender differences in academic achievement. using a variety of factors (Blair, 2013;Buckley, 2016;Castagnetti & Rosti, 2010;Chong, 2005;Dee 2006;Steinmayr & Spinath, 2008). Whenever significant differences are found, arguments are advanced through the lenses of social or biological factors.…”