Personal Identity

July 25, 2012 by Dr. Tangen Leave a Comment

Forgetting and age

Popeye, Aristotle & You?

We all ask ourselves “Who Am I?” at some point in time. Popeye answers it as “I am what I am and that’s all that I am.” Aristotle reminds us that we are what we repeatedly do.

Who we are is impacted by our gender, our attractiveness, our body image and our sexual orientation. Sometimes it seems that the most difficult thing we can do is just be ourselves.

Here’s what is included in this lesson:

eating disorders & body image
sexual differentiation, orientation & role.
attractive across cultures

Read chapter 14 of Kalat’s Biological Psychology

Here are the resources you need:

cluster
slides
terms
notes
quiz
video

SLIDES

TERMS

[dropdown_box expand_text=” Terms To Know” show_more=”More” show_less=”Less” start=”hide”]

activate or inactivate genes
activating effects of hormones
alpha-fetoprotein
anatomical differences
androgen insensitivity
appearance
appetite suppressants
artificial sugars
attraction
baby face
bind to chromosomes
bind to membrane receptors
body image
body odor
bonding
buffet of high-calorie foods
bulimia nervosa
chiseled jaw
circadian rhythms
clitoris
congenital adrenal hyperplasia
eating disorders
estradiol
estrogen
facial symmetry
fructose
gastric bypass surgery
gender
gender assignment
gender identity
gender roles
ghrelin (peptide)
gonads
hermaphrodites
heterosexual
homosexual
impotence
inbreeding
intelligent
intersexes
Jessica Alba
levels
mate seeking
medial preoptic area
Müllerian ducts
multiple mates
obese
orgasm
Orlistat (Xenical)
Oxytocin
penis
periovulatory period
pheromone
Prader-Willi syndrome
puberty
satiety
seminal vesicles: store semen
sensitive period
sexual differentiation
sexual orientation
sexually dimorphic nucleus
Sibutramine (Meridia)
SRY (sex-determining region)
steroid hormones
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
synchronize menstrual cycles
syndromal obesity
testes
vagina
vasopressin
bomeronasal organ (VNO)
weight loss
Wolffian ducts
X-linked
XX chromosome
XY chromosome
Y-linked

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NOTES

[dropdown_box expand_text=” For You” show_more=”Notes” show_less=”Less” start=”hide”]

Gender
- Sex differences = biological
- Gender differences = thinking
Sexual differentiation
- How identify sexually
- What call self (male-female)
- Sexual differentiation begins with chromosomes
  - Female = XX chromosome
  - Males = XY
- Prenatal
  - Start with same anatomy
  - Müllerian ducts
    - Lead to female internals
  - Wolffian ducts
    - Lead to male internals
Male (XY)
- Y Chromosome
- SRY (sex-determining region)
  - Causing primitive gonads to become testes
- Testes
  - Sperm-producing organs
  - Produce androgens (male hormone)
- Wolffian ducts develop into:
  - seminal vesicles: store semen
  - vas deferens: duct from testes into penis
- Müllerian inhibiting hormone
  - Peptide hormone
  - Müllerian ducts degenerate
- Testosterone
  - Development of penis & scrotum
Females (XX)
- More estrogen than androgens
- Primitive gonads become ovaries
  - (egg-producing organs)
- Wolffian ducts degenerate
- Müllerian ducts develop
- Estrogen
Steroid Hormones
- four carbon rings
- derived from cholesterol
- 3 effects:
- 1. bind to chromosomes
  - activate or inactivate genes
- 2. bind to membrane receptors
  - like protein or peptide hormones
- 3. enter cells
  - activate proteins in cytoplasm
Androgens and Estrogens
- Not a specific chemical itself
- Androgens promote masculine features (hair)
- Estrogens promote female features (breasts)
Testosterone
- most widely known androgen
Estradiol
- most prominent type of estrogen
- higher levels in women
Progesterone
- Predominantly female
- Prepares uterus implantation
- Maintains pregnancy
Organizing effects
- mostly during critical stage
- determine develop as male or female
Activating effects
- Temporary
- Only when hormone present
- Can occur at any time in life
Sensitive period
- When event has long-lasting effect
- Testosterone impacts external genitalia in 3rd – 4th month of pregnancy
In Hypothalamus
- Sexually dimorphic nucleus
  - Part of medial preoptic hypothalamus
  - Larger in male than female
  - Linked to male sexual behavior
- Females can generate cyclic pattern of hormone release
- Males can’t
Alpha-fetoprotein
- Protein that binds with estrogen
- Present in early sensitive period
- Prevents females being masculinized by their own estrogen
Childhood Behavior
- 3-8 months old
- Show preference for toys
  - Girls look at dolls more
  - Boys look at dolls & trucks equally
- Male monkeys
  - lay with trucks and balls more
- Female monkeys play with dolls
- Prenatal injections of testosterone
  - After born, play more like boys
Activating Effects of Hormones
- Change behav. by enhancing $
- Testosterone need for male sexual arousal
- Estrogens increase sensitivity of pudendal nerve
Brain (rat studies)
- Low concentrations of dopamine
  - facilitate penile erection
  - sexually receptive postures in female
- High concentrations of dopamine
  - orgasm
- Males prefer cage where previously had sex
- “Female rats find sex reinforcing only if they get to decide when it occurs” — how know?
Humans
- High Testosterone
  - seek more sexual partners
  - even after marry or have long-term relationship
- Low Testosterone
  - Decrease sexual activity
  - Testosterone level don’t change after marriage
  - Low T more likely to marry
  - Single women high T
  - Long-term partner have low T
    - either homosexual or heterosexual
Impotence
- Men
- Inability to have erection
  - not usually caused by low T
- Treated by increasing blood circulation in penis & hypothalamus
Gender Identity
- Intersexes
  - Male & female characteristics
  - Hermaphrodites
  - Genitals-genetic sex mismatch
  - Some normal testicular tissue plus ovarian tissue
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  - Overdeveloped adrenals
  - Excess release of testosterone
  - In genetic males
    - extra testosterone
    - little effect
  - In genetic females
    - Masculine physical char.
      - clitoris may resemble penis
    - Treated different by teachers…
    - Differ in childhood interests
    - More interested in rough sports
    - More aggressive as adults
    - Less interested in infants
    - Create or lengthened vagina
    - Significant sexual difficulties
    - No romantic attraction to men
    - Little or no interest in sex
    - Lack of orgasm
Testicular Feminization
- Androgen insensitivity
  - Not bind to genes in nucleus
- Genetic male
- Appearance of female
- Small penis
- Considered female until puberty
- Don’t menstruate
Gender Assignment
- In 1950s
  - Most intersexed reared as girls
  - Surgery easier to look like girl
  - Most developed male interests
  - Demanded reassignment as males
- Now
  - Recommend honesty
  - No bias toward female
  - Use predominant external appearance as gender
  - No surgery now
  - Change sexual orientation later?
- Sexual Appearance
  - Genetic males
  - Enzyme (5-reductase 2)
    - converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone
- Inbreeding
  - genetic disorder blocks enzyme
  - penis not develop until puberty
  - identified as female as birth
- Boys usually want to switch to male gender identity
- Reassignment when teen common if:
  - born without penis
  - lost penis through accident
Multiple Mates
- Men more interested in
  - short-term sexual relationships
  - with many partners
- Evolutionarily, both work for men:
  - One-mate strategies
  - Multiple-mate strategy
- Women have less to gain
  - Limited number of pregnancies
  - But can upgrade to better mate
Mate Seeking
- Both men & women prefer
  - Healthy
  - Intelligent
  - Honest
  - Attractive
- Women prefer:
  - Good providers
    - strongest when no $ of own
  - Strong commitment
  - Body odor
    - Women prefer differ from hers
    - Immune genes dissimilar
- Men strongly prefer younger
- Differences in Jealousy
  - Men upset by sex infidelity
  - Women upset by emotional infidelity
    - Evolved or Learned
Anatomical Differences
- Longer arms, legs & hands
  - In heterosexual men
  - In homosexual women
- Brain Differences
  - Larger in gay men
    - anterior commissure
      - Pain bilateral connections
    - Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
      - Circadian rhythms
- Processing Differences
  - Landmarks for giving directions
    - Gay men
    - Heterosexual women
Sexual Orientation
- Not an arbitrary decision
- Integral part of person
- Homosexuality is a shift toward
  - In some aspects, not others
- Genetics
  - Homosexuality
    - Highest in monozygotic twins
    - Lower in dizygotic twins
    - Still lower in siblings
    - Higher incidence among maternal relatives
- Prenatal Influences
  - Lowest in oldest sons
  - Mother’s immune system can react against a protein in 1st son
  - Attacks subsequent sons more
Attraction
- Women
  - Periovulatory period
    - Mid-point of menstrual cycle
    - Sexual interest increases
    - High estrogen levels
    - Prefer men who look and act more masculine
  - Oxytocin
    - Stimulates contractions of uterus during delivery
    - Stimulates mammary gland to release milk
    - Also releases at orgasm
    - relaxation & less anxiety
    - Bonding of couples
      - Mother-child?
    - Facilitates social behaviors
    - Recognizing familiar faces
    - Recognizing blurry words (like love or kissing)
- Hormones increase activity in
  - medial preoptic area
  - anterior hypothalamus
- Men
  - Vasopressin
  - Important for parental behavior
  - Male prairie voles
  - high levels of vasopressin
  - long-term pair bonds
  - help rear their young
Pheromones
- Chemicals
- Released by an animal
- Impact members of same species
- Affect behavior (ie., sexually)
- Vomeronasal organ (VNO)
- Located near smell receptors
- Separate system
- Respond only to pheromones
- Each VNO receptor responds to just one pheromone
- No adaptation from continued exposure
- VNO is very small in humans
- No receptors have been found
- Have one type pheromone receptor located in olfactory mucosa
- Synchronize menstrual cycles
- Spend a lot of time together
- Enhance regularity of menstrual cycle
- For long-term relationships
Body Image
- Facial symmetry
  - Very difficult to find
  - Takes billons of cells in same places on each side
- Men should have:
  - broad forehead
  - relatively longer lower face
  - prominent chin and brow
  - defined cheekbones
  - chiseled jaw
- Women should have:
  - Baby face
  - Large eyes
  - Small nose
  - Narrow jaw
  - High cheekbones
  - Fatter than they think should be
- Ratios
  - Between eyes
  - 46% of total width
  - Between eyes & mouth
  - 36% of total height
  - Jessica Alba
- Overestimation
  - Men value of muscles
  - Women value of thinness
Eating Disorders
- Obesity in rats
  - “Buffet” of high-calorie foods
  - Can’t pass up options
  - Become obese
  - Lose interest in other rewards
- Fat is not happy
  - Small correlation between obesity and mood
  - Obesity not caused by depression
- Prenatal
  - high-fat diet before
  - increase appetite & body weight
- Genetics and Body Weight
  - Danish study
    - weights of adopted children
    - correlate with biological parents
  - Genetic or prenatal
  - Specific genes
  - Mutated gene for melanocortin can cause obesity
- Syndromal obesity
  - From medical condition
  - Prader-Willi syndrome
    - Genetic disorder
    - leads to obesity
    - high levels of ghrelin (peptide)
Weight Loss
- Dieting rarely effective alone
- Maintaining diet
- Implement small changes
- 20-40% success (2 years)
- Increasing exercise
- Decreasing eating
- Fructose doesn’t $ satiety path
  - Non-diet drinks high in fructose
  - Artificial sugars cause body to unlearn association between “sweet” and calories?
- Sibutramine (Meridia)
  - Appetite suppressants
- Orlistat (Xenical)
  - Block fat absorption
- Gastric bypass surgery
  - Removes part of stomach
  - Smaller meals produce satiety
Bulimia Nervosa
- Alternate dieting & overeating
- Some vomit after meals.
- Most suffer from depression
- Results in:
  - Lower levels of CCK (hormone)
  - Increased ghrelin (hormone)
  - Altered NT transmitters
    - regulate eating
- Similar to drug addiction
  - Food activates nucleus accumbens

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Personal Identity

Popeye, Aristotle & You?

SLIDES

TERMS

NOTES

QUIZ

VIDEO

DISCUSSION ITEM

Popeye, Aristotle & You?

SLIDES

TERMS

NOTES

QUIZ

VIDEO

DISCUSSION ITEM

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