The Psychology of Women (with InfoTrac)

by Matlin, Margaret W.

• ISBN13: 9780534579647
• ISBN10: 0534579647
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-17
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

1. Introduction. 2. Gender Stereotypes and Other Gender Biases. 3. Infancy and Childhood. 4. Adolescence. 5. Cognitive Abilities and Achievement Motivation. 6. Gender Comparisons in Social and Personality Characteristics. 7. Women and Work. 8. Love Relationships. 9. Sexuality. 10. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood. 11. Women and Physical Health. 12. Women and Psychological Disorders. 13. Violence Against Women. 14. Women and Older Adults. 15. Moving Onward.

Table of Contents

Preface	xix
Introduction	1	(33)
Central Concepts in the Psychology of Women	3	(6)
Sex and Gender	4	(1)
Social Biases	4	(1)
Feminist Approaches	5	(1)
Psychological Approaches to Gender Similarity and Difference	6	(3)
A Brief History of the Psychology of Women	9	(3)
Early Studies of Gender Comparisons	9	(1)
The Emergence of the Psychology of Women as a Discipline	10	(1)
The Current Status of the Psychology of Women	11	(1)
Women and Ethnicity	12	(7)
The White-as-Normative Concept	13	(1)
Women of Color	13	(4)
U.S.-Centered Nationalism	17	(2)
Problems and Biases in Research	19	(8)
Formulating the Hypothesis	19	(2)
Designing the Study	21	(1)
Performing the Study	22	(1)
Interpreting the Data	23	(1)
Communicating the Findings	24	(1)
Critical Thinking and the Psychology of Women	25	(2)
About This Textbook	27	(7)
Themes of the Book	27	(2)
How to Use This Book Effectively	29	(5)
Gender Stereotypes and Other Gender Biases	34	(38)
Biased Representations of Women and Men	36	(12)
Gender Biases Throughout History	36	(3)
Gender Biases in Language	39	(3)
Gender Biases in the Media	42	(6)
People's Beliefs About Women and Men	48	(24)
The Content of Stereotypes	48	(4)
The Complexity of Contemporary Sexism	52	(6)
Heterosexism	58	(2)
The Social Cognitive Approach to Gender Stereotypes	60	(4)
Gender Stereotypes and Behavior	64	(2)
Internalizing Gender Stereotypes	66	(6)
Infancy and Childhood	72	(37)
Background on Gender Development	74	(12)
Prenatal Sex Development	74	(3)
How People Respond to Infant Girls and Boys	77	(5)
Theories of Gender Development	82	(4)
Factors That Shape Gender Typing	86	(16)
Parents	86	(5)
Peers	91	(3)
School	94	(3)
The Media	97	(5)
Children's Knowledge About Gender	102	(7)
Children's Stereotypes About Activities and Occupations	103	(1)
Children's Stereotypes About Personality	104	(1)
Factors Related to Children's Gender Stereotypes	105	(4)
Adolescence	109	(33)
Puberty and Menstruation	111	(9)
Puberty	111	(1)
Biological Aspects of the Menstrual Cycle	112	(2)
Menstrual Pain	114	(1)
The Controversial Premenstrual Syndrome	115	(3)
Menstrual Joy	118	(1)
Cultural Attitudes Toward Menstruation	119	(1)
Self-Concept and Identity During Adolescence	120	(7)
Body Image and Physical Attractiveness	121	(2)
Feminist Identity	123	(1)
Ethnic Identity	124	(1)
Self-Esteem	125	(2)
Education and Career Planning	127	(6)
Young Women's Experiences in Middle School and High School	127	(1)
Early Experiences in Math and Science	128	(1)
Higher Education	129	(1)
Career Aspirations	130	(1)
Career Aspirations Versus Reality	131	(2)
Interpersonal Relationships During Adolescence	133	(9)
Family Relationships During Adolescence	133	(1)
Friendships During Adolescence	134	(2)
Romantic Relationships During Adolescence	136	(6)
Gender Comparisons in Cognitive Abilities and Attitudes About Success	142	(29)
Background on Gender Comparisons	144	(3)
Cautions About Research on Gender Comparisons	144	(2)
Two Approaches to Summarizing Multiple Studies	146	(1)
Cognitive Abilities	147	(14)
Cognitive Abilities That Show No Consistent Gender Differences	148	(1)
Verbal Ability	149	(2)
Mathematics Ability	151	(2)
Spatial Ability	153	(4)
Explaining the Gender Comparisons	157	(4)
Achievement Motivation and Attitudes About Success	161	(10)
Biases in the Research on Achievement Motivation	161	(1)
Achievement Motivation	162	(1)
Fear of Success	162	(1)
Confidence in Your Own Achievement and Ability	163	(3)
Attributions for Your Own Success	166	(5)
Gender Comparisons in Social and Personality Characteristics	171	(35)
Communication Patterns	174	(12)
Verbal Communication	175	(2)
Nonverbal Communication	177	(6)
Potential Explanations for Gender Differences in Communication	183	(3)
Characteristics Related to Helping and Caring	186	(8)
Altruism	187	(1)
Nurturance	188	(1)
Empathy	189	(1)
Moral Judgments Concerning Other People	190	(2)
Friendship	192	(2)
Characteristics Related to Aggression and Power	194	(12)
Gender and Aggression: The Social Constructionists' Concerns	195	(1)
Overt Aggression Versus Relational Aggression	196	(1)
Gender and Aggression: Other Important Factors	197	(2)
Leadership	199	(2)
Persuasion	201	(5)
Women and Work	206	(38)
Background Factors Related to Women's Employment	208	(7)
What Factors Are Related to Women's Employment?	209	(1)
Women and Welfare	210	(2)
Discrimination in Hiring Patterns	212	(3)
Discrimination in the Workplace	215	(9)
Salary Discrimination	216	(3)
Discrimination in Promotions	219	(1)
Other Kinds of Treatment Discrimination	220	(1)
Discrimination Against Lesbians in the Workplace	221	(1)
What to Do About Treatment Discrimination	222	(2)
Women's Experiences in Selected Occupations	224	(9)
Employment in Traditionally Female Occupations	224	(3)
Employment in Traditionally Male Professions	227	(2)
Employment in Traditionally Male Blue-Collar Jobs	229	(1)
Why Are Women Scarce in Certain Occupations?	230	(2)
Homemakers	232	(1)
Coordinating Employment with Personal Life	233	(11)
Marriage	233	(3)
Children	236	(3)
Personal Adjustment	239	(5)
Love Relationships	244	(42)
Dating and Living Together	246	(10)
The Ideal Romantic Partner	246	(3)
Explanations for Gender Differences in Preference Patterns	249	(3)
Characteristics of Heterosexual Love Relationships	252	(1)
Living Together	252	(2)
Breaking Up	254	(2)
Marriage and Divorce	256	(10)
Marital Satisfaction	257	(3)
Responsibility and Power in Marriage	260	(1)
Marriage and Women of Color	261	(2)
Divorce	263	(3)
Lesbians and Bisexual Women	266	(13)
The Psychological Adjustment of Lesbians	268	(1)
The Fluidity of Female Sexual Orientation	268	(1)
Characteristics of Lesbian Relationships	269	(3)
Lesbian Women of Color	272	(1)
Bisexual Women	273	(2)
Theoretical Explanations About Sexual Orientation	275	(4)
Single Women	279	(7)
Characteristics of Single Women	280	(1)
Attitudes Toward Single Women	280	(1)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Single	281	(1)
Single Women of Color	282	(4)
Sexuality	286	(34)
Background on Women's Sexuality	288	(5)
Theoretical Perspectives	288	(1)
Female Sexual Anatomy	289	(1)
Sexual Responses	290	(3)
Sexual Attitudes and Behavior	293	(11)
Attitudes About Sexuality	293	(2)
Sexual Scripts	295	(1)
Sex Education	296	(2)
Adolescent Sexual Behavior	298	(1)
Adult Sexual Behavior	299	(1)
Communication About Sexuality	300	(1)
Lesbians and Sexuality	300	(2)
Older Women and Sexuality	302	(2)
Sexual Disorders	304	(3)
Low Sexual Desire	304	(1)
Female Orgasmic Disorder	304	(1)
How Gender Roles Contribute to Sexual Disorders	305	(1)
Therapy for Sexual Disorders	306	(1)
Birth Control and Abortion	307	(13)
Birth Control Methods	308	(1)
Who Uses Birth Control?	309	(2)
Obstacles to Using Birth Control	311	(2)
Contraception and Family Planning in Developing Countries	313	(1)
Abortion	313	(7)
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood	320	(31)
Pregnancy	322	(6)
The Biology of Pregnancy	322	(1)
Physical Reactions During Pregnancy	323	(1)
Emotional Reactions During Pregnancy	324	(2)
Attitudes Toward Pregnant Women	326	(1)
Pregnant Women and Employment	326	(2)
Childbirth	328	(5)
The Biology of Childbirth	328	(2)
Emotional Reactions to Childbirth	330	(1)
Alternative Models of Childbirth	331	(2)
Motherhood	333	(18)
Stereotypes About Motherhood	333	(1)
The Reality of Motherhood	334	(3)
Motherhood and Women of Color	337	(2)
Lesbian Mothers	339	(1)
Postpartum Disturbances	340	(2)
Breast Feeding	342	(1)
Returning to the Workplace After Childbirth	343	(1)
Deciding Whether to Have Children	344	(2)
Infertility	346	(5)
Women and Physical Health	351	(34)
The Health Care and Health Status of Women	354	(12)
Biases Against Women	354	(2)
Health Issues for Women in Developing Countries	356	(2)
Gender Comparisons in Life Expectancy	358	(1)
Gender Comparisons in Overall Health	358	(2)
Heart Disease, Breast Cancer, and Other Specific Health Problems	360	(6)
Women with Disabilities	366	(4)
Work Patterns of Women with Disabilities	368	(1)
Personal Relationships of Women with Disabilities	369	(1)
AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases	370	(7)
Background Information on AIDS	370	(2)
Medical Aspects of AIDS	372	(1)
How AIDS Is Transmitted	373	(1)
Living with AIDS	374	(1)
Preventing AIDS	374	(1)
Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases	375	(2)
Women and Substance Abuse	377	(8)
Smoking	377	(2)
Alcohol Abuse	379	(3)
Other Substance-Abuse Problems	382	(3)
Women and Psychological Disorders	385	(31)
Depression	387	(7)
Characteristics of Depression	388	(1)
Explanations for the Gender Difference in Depression	388	(6)
Eating Disorders and Related Problems	394	(8)
Anorexia Nervosa	395	(1)
Bulimia Nervosa	396	(1)
Binge-Eating Disorder	396	(1)
The Culture of Slimness	397	(3)
Being Overweight and Dieting	400	(2)
Treating Psychological Disorders in Women	402	(14)
Psychotherapy and Sexism	403	(1)
Psychotherapy with Lesbian and Bisexual Women	404	(1)
Psychotherapy with Women of Color	404	(4)
Traditional Therapies and Women	408	(3)
Feminist Therapy	411	(5)
Violence Against Women	416	(40)
Sexual Harassment	418	(7)
Why Is Sexual Harassment an Important Issue?	421	(1)
How Often Does Sexual Harassment Occur?	421	(1)
Women's Reactions to Sexual Harassment	422	(1)
Attitudes About Sexual Harassment	422	(1)
What to Do About Sexual Harassment	423	(2)
Rape	425	(17)
How Often Does Rape Occur?	426	(1)
Acquaintance Rape	427	(2)
Fear of Rape	429	(1)
Women's Reactions to Rape	429	(2)
Attitudes About Rape	431	(3)
Myths About Rape	434	(1)
Child Sexual Abuse	435	(2)
Rape Prevention	437	(5)
The Abuse of Women	442	(14)
How Often Does the Abuse of Women Occur?	444	(1)
The Dynamics of Abuse	444	(1)
Women's Reactions to Abuse	445	(1)
Characteristics Associated with Abusive Relationships	445	(2)
Attitudes About the Abuse of Women	447	(1)
Myths About the Abuse of Women	448	(1)
How Abused Women Take Action	449	(2)
Society's Response to the Problem of Abuse	451	(5)
Women and Older Adulthood	456	(29)
Attitudes Toward Older Women	459	(5)
The Media	459	(1)
The Double Standard of Aging	460	(3)
Cross-Cultural Views of Older Women	463	(1)
Older Women, Retirement, and Economic Issues	464	(3)
Planning for Retirement	464	(1)
Adjusting to Retirement	465	(1)
Economic Issues	465	(2)
Menopause	467	(6)
Physical Changes During Menopause	468	(1)
Hormone Replacement Therapy	468	(1)
Attitudes Toward Menopause	469	(2)
Psychological Reactions to Menopause	471	(2)
Social Aspects of Older Women's Lives	473	(12)
Family Relationships	473	(2)
Widowhood and the Death of Life Partners	475	(2)
Older Women of Color	477	(1)
Satisfaction with Life	478	(1)
Rewriting Our Life Stories	479	(1)
Final Words	480	(5)
Moving Onward . . .	485	(18)
The Future of the Discipline of the Psychology of Women	487	(2)
The Increasing Number of Women in Psychology	487	(1)
Developing a More Inclusive Psychology of Women	488	(1)
Women of Color and the Feminist Movement	489	(2)
The Men's Movement	491	(2)
Some Discouraging Trends	493	(3)
The Rigid Interpretation of Feminism	494	(1)
The Backlash Against Feminism	495	(1)
Some Helpful Trends	496	(7)
Women's Studies Courses	496	(1)
The Women's Movement in North America	497	(1)
The Women's Movement Worldwide	498	(1)
Helping to Change the Future: Becoming an Activist	499	(4)
References	503	(92)
Name Index	595	(20)
Subject Index	615	(24)
Credits	639