A-Level Psychology: Gender

The Gender option in A-level Psychology was substantially rewritten for first teaching from September 2025 (for example in AQA's A-level Psychology specification), and this material is built on the new content rather than the older version of the topic. Sex and gender are now treated separately: biological sex is explained through chromosomes and hormones, and gender through identity, measurement and developmental theories.

The biological-sex questions cover the SRY gene, testosterone, oestrogen and oxytocin, and diversity in sex development: androgen insensitivity syndrome, a new addition to the topic, together with Klinefelter's syndrome and Turner syndrome. Gender identities are covered as binary, non-binary and gender fluid, and you work with the Bem Sex Role Inventory both as a scoring system (masculine, feminine, androgynous, undifferentiated) and as a measure open to criticism for self-report bias and dated items.

The explanations of gender development make up most of the quiz. A question on congenital adrenal hyperplasia asks you to weigh evidence for a hormonal influence against social alternatives. Kohlberg's stages are applied to a child who understands gender stability but not constancy, and Martin and Halverson's gender schema theory is tested through the evidence that separates it from Kohlberg and through memory distortion of schema-inconsistent pictures. Social learning theory is applied to a father's direct tuition and differential reinforcement, and the flashcards and written work add culture and media influences, including the baby-labelling research of Smith and Lloyd.

The final question separates biological explanations of gender incongruence, such as brain-sex research and the androgen receptor gene, from social and cultural ones, and the written work asks you to evaluate both with attention to the social sensitivity of this research. Throughout, the wording is neutral and respectful.

The material offers four formats. The 12-question quiz gives an explanation after every answer. The 18 flashcards cover the key terms, conditions and theories. The printable written work sets eight open questions with ruled space for handwritten answers that are then checked. The oral exam puts you in front of an examiner who asks one question at a time and gives brief, precise feedback at the end.

It suits students starting the revised topic and anyone checking that older revision notes match the new content.

• Explain the roles of chromosomes, the SRY gene, testosterone, oestrogen and oxytocin in biological sex
• Describe androgen insensitivity syndrome, Klinefelter's syndrome and Turner syndrome as diversity in sex development
• Distinguish binary, non-binary and gender-fluid identities and explain how the Bem Sex Role Inventory measures gender
• Apply and evaluate biological, Kohlberg's and Martin and Halverson's explanations of gender development
• Apply social learning theory and explain cultural and media influences on gender roles
• Distinguish biological from social or cultural explanations of gender incongruence

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the Gender option in A-level Psychology specifications (for example AQA A-level Psychology 7182, specification for first teaching from September 2025, section 4.3.3, which rewrote the topic).