Nature and

Nurture Factors to
explain the
Development of
Gender Identity
By : Kaliguhan a/l Baskaran
Khairul Anuar Bin Samsudin

What is Gender Identity?

Gender Identity is what we call ourselves.
There are many other words for gender
other than male and female.
***Other Identities can also
be described as Transgender,
Transsexual, Female to Male
Transsexual (FTM), Male to
Female Transsexual, and
Gender queer.

 Gender identity is formed as children search for social

cues and display approval for others based upon the
gender with which the child identifies, though gender
identity is very fluid among young children.
Studies suggest that children develop gender identity in
three distinct stages: as toddlers and preschoolers, they
learn about defined characteristics, which are socialized
aspects of gender; the second stage is consolidation, in
which identity becomes rigid, around the ages of 57
years; after this "peak of rigidity," fluidity returns and
socially defined gender roles

 Gender identity is usually formed by age

three and is extremely difficult to change
after that. The formation also commonly
concludes between the ages of four and six.

Nature and Nurture

Some human traits are fixed, such as having two
eyes. However, most psychological traits are
liable to change with environmental experience.

Genes provide choices for the organism to

change its form or traits when environmental
variables change. Therefore, genes are pliable or
self-regulating.

 The extent to gender identity is determined by

socialization (environmental factors) and in-born
(biological) factors known as nature and nurture.
While gender roles and sex differences are both
largely recognized as influential in behaviour, it is
often difficult to determine the separate impacts of
socialization and genetic variables.

 Although there may be discrepancies as to

which factor plays the most important role,
there is extensive agreement that a
combination of many different views and
perspectives are needed for a complete
understanding of gender development.

 The idea of nature and nurture has had quite an effect

on gender identity. Nature has to do with the hormonal
aspect and the genetic make up. Certain genetic
variations may produce gender-variant identities.
Gender identity development has genetic influence.

 The second aspect is nurture, which has to

do with environmental aspects and parental
influence of genetic identity. Parents are the
ones who create the values and behaviours
that their children create. Most parents tend
to surround their children with gender-typed
toys and clothes.

Example :
One of the most known examples of nature and
nurture was the case of David Reimer, otherwise
known as John/Joan. As a baby, David went
through a faulty circumcision, losing his male
genitalia and from then on he was designed to be a
girl. Psychologist John Money convinced Reimers
parents to raise David as a girl.

 Reimer grew up as a girl dressing in girl clothes

and was surrounded by girl toys, but he still felt as
though something was wrong. David did not feel
like a girl and after trying to commit suicide by age
13, Reimer was then told he was born a boy. Once
he was told the truth, he immediately went into
surgery to get the proper genitalia back. This went
against Moneys idea that biology had nothing to
do with gender identity or human sexual
orientation.

Another Example of Gender Identity

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