CHAPTER 1: THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF SEX, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY
A. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. ______ refers to the designation of being male or female as identified from a biological
standpoint.
a. sexuality
b. sex
c. gender
d. gender dichotomization
e. gender dypshobia
Answer: b, page 1
2. “Sex dimorphism” refers to the division of the human population into either:
a. homosexual or heterosexual
b. masculine or feminine
c. male or female
d. matriarchal or patriarchal
e. transvestite or intersex
Answer: c, page 1
3. “Gender” refers to the designation of _______ or _______, as identified from a sociocultural
standpoint.
a. masculine; feminine
b. homosexual; heterosexual
c. hermaphroditism; pseudo-hermaphroditism
d. male; female
e. polyandry; polygamy
Answer: a, page 2
4. The term “gender” to refers to:
a. biological differences between females and males
b. the socially acquired meanings of being male and female
c. sexual differences between females and males
d. hormonal differences between males and females
e. the phenomena of sex (re)assignment
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario 1
,Answer b, page 2
5. On the Bem Sex Role Inventory, a person who scored high on femininity and high on
masculinity would be classified as:
a. masculine
b. feminine
c. undifferentiated
d. androgynous
e. gender dysphoric
Answer: d, page 3
6. On the Bem Sex Role Inventory, a person who scored low on “femininity” and low on
“masculinity” would be classified as:
a. androgynous
b. masculine
c. feminine
d. undifferentiated
e. asexual
Answer: d, page 3
7. _________ refers to using one's own culture as the standard by which other cultures are
judged.
a. Cultural relativism
b. Ethnocentrism
c. Globalization
d. Globalization from below
e. Patriarchy
Answer: b, page 3
8. The berdache illustrate:
a. that for male differentiation to occur, H-Y antigen must be present
b. that female sexual differentiation is dependent on the introduction of hormones or a
“feminizing agent”
c. polyandry
d. a paraphilia
e. a third gender
Answer: e, page 3
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario 2
,9. Hijras:
a. are a religious caste of men who are viewed as neither men nor women
b. are biological women who perform the work of men
c. are born with an ambiguous genital configuration
d. are biological women who are unable to bear children and work as prostitutes
e. are viewed as criminals and subject to life imprisonment
Answer: a, page 5
10. In Islamic Oman, the xanith:
a. are biological women who enjoy all the rights of men under the law
b. are men who, after surgical castration, are reclassified as a third gender
c. are women who are born with an ambiguous genital configuration
d. are infertile women who engage in sexual acts with unmarried women
e. act as sexual partners for men, taking the passive role
Answer: e, page 6
11. “Males are naturally masculine.” This statement best illustrates a _____ position.
a. social constructionist
b. interactionist
c. biological determinist
d. postmodernist
e. poststructuralist
Answer: c, page 7
12. Research by Dar-Nimerod and Heine (2006) manipulated participant’s beliefs about gender
differences in math ability and then measured participant’s performance on a math test. Their
findings show:
a. females who read an essay suggesting there were gender differences in mathematical
ability, outperformed those females who read an article suggesting there were no math-
related sex differences
b. females who read an essay suggesting there were gender differences in mathematical
ability, were outperformed by those females who read an article suggesting there were no
math-related sex differences
c. there were no performance differences between the two groups regardless of which
article they read
d. innate differences in math performance is not a contentious issue
e. attempting to isolate the role of genes in math performance is of little consequence
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario 3
, Answer b, page 8
13. Brescoll and LaFrance (2004) asked research participants to read a newspaper article that
contained either biological or non-biological explanations of sex differences in the ability to
identify plants. Their research shows:
a. those exposed to biological explanations were more likely to endorse gender
stereotypes
b those exposed to non-biological explanations were more likely to endorse gender
stereotypes
c. those exposed to non-biological explanations were less likely to believe people are
capable of change
d. those exposed to biological explanations were more likely to believe people are
capable of change
e. no differences with respect to gender stereotypes between those exposed to either
explanation
Answer a, page 8
14. Ellis et. als. (2005) conducted a survey of approximately 8000 college students at 20
American colleges and two Canadian universities. Their survey found approximately what
percentage of males and females self-identified as bisexual?
a. 1%
b. 5%
c. 10%
d. 15%
e. 20%
Answer a, page 10
15. Research by Ellis et als. (2005) employed four measures of sexual orientation. Which of the
following is not one of the measures used in their survey?
a. a self identity measure
b. an attraction measure
c. a virginity measure
d. a fantasy measure
e. an experiential measure
Answer c, page10
16. Ellis et al. (2005) report that the most unsettling finding from their study on sexuality
involved:
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario 4
A. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. ______ refers to the designation of being male or female as identified from a biological
standpoint.
a. sexuality
b. sex
c. gender
d. gender dichotomization
e. gender dypshobia
Answer: b, page 1
2. “Sex dimorphism” refers to the division of the human population into either:
a. homosexual or heterosexual
b. masculine or feminine
c. male or female
d. matriarchal or patriarchal
e. transvestite or intersex
Answer: c, page 1
3. “Gender” refers to the designation of _______ or _______, as identified from a sociocultural
standpoint.
a. masculine; feminine
b. homosexual; heterosexual
c. hermaphroditism; pseudo-hermaphroditism
d. male; female
e. polyandry; polygamy
Answer: a, page 2
4. The term “gender” to refers to:
a. biological differences between females and males
b. the socially acquired meanings of being male and female
c. sexual differences between females and males
d. hormonal differences between males and females
e. the phenomena of sex (re)assignment
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario 1
,Answer b, page 2
5. On the Bem Sex Role Inventory, a person who scored high on femininity and high on
masculinity would be classified as:
a. masculine
b. feminine
c. undifferentiated
d. androgynous
e. gender dysphoric
Answer: d, page 3
6. On the Bem Sex Role Inventory, a person who scored low on “femininity” and low on
“masculinity” would be classified as:
a. androgynous
b. masculine
c. feminine
d. undifferentiated
e. asexual
Answer: d, page 3
7. _________ refers to using one's own culture as the standard by which other cultures are
judged.
a. Cultural relativism
b. Ethnocentrism
c. Globalization
d. Globalization from below
e. Patriarchy
Answer: b, page 3
8. The berdache illustrate:
a. that for male differentiation to occur, H-Y antigen must be present
b. that female sexual differentiation is dependent on the introduction of hormones or a
“feminizing agent”
c. polyandry
d. a paraphilia
e. a third gender
Answer: e, page 3
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario 2
,9. Hijras:
a. are a religious caste of men who are viewed as neither men nor women
b. are biological women who perform the work of men
c. are born with an ambiguous genital configuration
d. are biological women who are unable to bear children and work as prostitutes
e. are viewed as criminals and subject to life imprisonment
Answer: a, page 5
10. In Islamic Oman, the xanith:
a. are biological women who enjoy all the rights of men under the law
b. are men who, after surgical castration, are reclassified as a third gender
c. are women who are born with an ambiguous genital configuration
d. are infertile women who engage in sexual acts with unmarried women
e. act as sexual partners for men, taking the passive role
Answer: e, page 6
11. “Males are naturally masculine.” This statement best illustrates a _____ position.
a. social constructionist
b. interactionist
c. biological determinist
d. postmodernist
e. poststructuralist
Answer: c, page 7
12. Research by Dar-Nimerod and Heine (2006) manipulated participant’s beliefs about gender
differences in math ability and then measured participant’s performance on a math test. Their
findings show:
a. females who read an essay suggesting there were gender differences in mathematical
ability, outperformed those females who read an article suggesting there were no math-
related sex differences
b. females who read an essay suggesting there were gender differences in mathematical
ability, were outperformed by those females who read an article suggesting there were no
math-related sex differences
c. there were no performance differences between the two groups regardless of which
article they read
d. innate differences in math performance is not a contentious issue
e. attempting to isolate the role of genes in math performance is of little consequence
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario 3
, Answer b, page 8
13. Brescoll and LaFrance (2004) asked research participants to read a newspaper article that
contained either biological or non-biological explanations of sex differences in the ability to
identify plants. Their research shows:
a. those exposed to biological explanations were more likely to endorse gender
stereotypes
b those exposed to non-biological explanations were more likely to endorse gender
stereotypes
c. those exposed to non-biological explanations were less likely to believe people are
capable of change
d. those exposed to biological explanations were more likely to believe people are
capable of change
e. no differences with respect to gender stereotypes between those exposed to either
explanation
Answer a, page 8
14. Ellis et. als. (2005) conducted a survey of approximately 8000 college students at 20
American colleges and two Canadian universities. Their survey found approximately what
percentage of males and females self-identified as bisexual?
a. 1%
b. 5%
c. 10%
d. 15%
e. 20%
Answer a, page 10
15. Research by Ellis et als. (2005) employed four measures of sexual orientation. Which of the
following is not one of the measures used in their survey?
a. a self identity measure
b. an attraction measure
c. a virginity measure
d. a fantasy measure
e. an experiential measure
Answer c, page10
16. Ellis et al. (2005) report that the most unsettling finding from their study on sexuality
involved:
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario 4
