Specifically, we consider past conclusions that sex typing may be adaptive or maladaptive.
To address each theme, we review perspectives on the relationship between sex typing and adjustment. In this chapter, we address the three themes of this volume: interdisciplinarity in the study of identity development, developmental processes, and the intersection between personal and social identities. Broadly, the divergence in perspectives can be characterized in terms of whether sex typing is considered adaptive or maladaptive, described as an individual or normative difference, and whether gender identity is regarded as a unidimensional or multidimensional construct.
Within the domain of gender, psychologists have devoted considerable attention to the relationship between gender and well-being, and one issue in particular-the relationship between adherence to gender norms and adjustment-has elicited different assumptions and different approaches among social and developmental psychologists. Although psychologists have studied a wide range of social group memberships, the documented consequences of belonging to a gender group are among the most studied and most controversial. Both social and developmental psychologists have studied the effects of intergroup bias on individuals’ behaviors and self-evaluations, the extent to which identification with a stigmatized group affects well-being, and the influence of group membership on personal choices and behaviors (see Ruble et al., 2004, for a review). Given its obvious implications for psychological well-being, it is not surprising that the study of social group membership has attracted the attention of psychologists. However, membership in a social group can also promote negative biases toward out-group members, derogation of in-group members who violate group norms, and disengagement from certain areas in which one’s group has been negatively stereotyped (for example, women and math). Specifically membership in a social group has been shown to promote a positive social identity from which individuals can derive self-esteem and a sense of belongingness or connectedness to others and serve as a buffer during times of stress. Whether it is based on sex, skin color, or even determined arbitrarily, membership in a social group exerts a profound influence on human behavior, with both positive and negative implications.
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