AP Psychology Flashcards: Gender and Sexual Orientation
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: June 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
Explain the concept of gender typing.
Gender typing is the process through which children become aware of their gender and subsequently acquire the values, motives, and behaviors considered appropriate for their sex in their culture.
Card 1 of 10
All Flashcards (10)
Explain the concept of gender typing.
Gender typing is the process through which children become aware of their gender and subsequently acquire the values, motives, and behaviors considered appropriate for their sex in their culture.
Define androgyny.
Androgyny is the state of having a combination of both masculine and feminine psychological characteristics, allowing for greater behavioral flexibility in different situations.
Differentiate between sex and gender.
Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define males and females, while gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities a society considers appropriate for them.
How does Social Learning Theory explain gender development?
Social Learning Theory posits that children learn gender roles by observing and imitating others (like parents and peers) and by being rewarded for gender-appropriate behaviors and punished for gender-inappropriate ones.
What is sexual orientation?
Sexual orientation refers to an individual's enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction to men, women, both genders, or neither gender.
What are gender roles?
Gender roles are the set of social and behavioral norms that are generally considered appropriate for individuals of a specific sex within a particular culture or society.
How can gender stereotypes impact an individual's development?
Gender stereotypes can limit development by creating social pressure to conform, potentially discouraging individuals from exploring interests, careers, or emotional expressions deemed inappropriate for their gender.
According to Gender Schema Theory, how do children develop a sense of gender?
Gender Schema Theory suggests that children form mental frameworks (schemas) about gender from their cultural experiences, which they then use to organize and interpret information about themselves and the world.
Provide an example of how parents influence gender socialization.
Parents often influence gender socialization by providing gender-stereotyped toys, such as dolls for girls and trucks for boys, which encourages the development of traditionally gendered interests and skills.
Define gender identity.
Gender identity is an individual's deep-seated, internal sense of their own gender, which may or may not correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth.