Blue for boys, Pink for girls!

Gender psychology is the exploration of the concepts of masculinity and femininity across cultures and the influence of those concepts on behavior, health, interpersonal relationships, and psychological processes. Although gender psychology originally denoted the analysis of biological sex differences between men and women, the field has grown to encompass the social construction of gender as well.(APA Dictionary of Psychology) 
Is sex a psychological choice? Do your biological functions decide if you are a man or a woman ; or your comfortability with your own body decide which gender you want to be? Are there only two distinct genders or is it a sort of a scale instead? People often get confused between the terms sex and gender. Sex refers to biological differences between males and females. For example, chromosomes (female XX, male XY), reproductive organs (ovaries, testes), hormones (estrogen, testosterone) ; gender refers to the cultural differences expected (by society / culture) of men and women according to their sex. The gender of a person can change, but their sex is fixed at birth. People used to have very clear beliefs about what behavior belonged to each sex in the past, and anyone acting in a different way was thought to be acting abnormally. According to the biological perspective, there is no distinction between sex and gender; hence, biological sex produces gendered behavior. Hormones and chromosomes are the two biological components that define gender. Hormones are chemical compounds that are released by glands all over the body and transported via the blood. For instance, testosterone can lead to typical masculine traits like hostility, rivalry, superior visual-spatial skills, increased sexual urge, etc. The sexually dimorphic nucleus, a region of the hypothalamus near the base of the brain, is significantly bigger in males than in females. The sexual development of the genitalia occurs before the sexual differentiation of the brain, therefore they might not always be in sync. It is clear that sexual identity and sexual orientation are features that evolve on their own based on the structural and functional distinctions of the hypothalamus nuclei and other brain regions. People with atypical chromosomes mature socially, physically, and cognitively in a different way than people with typical chromosomes. Studying those who have Turner's syndrome and Klinefelter's syndrome could advance our understanding of gender because psychologists can determine which types of behavior are inherited by analyzing those with atypical sex chromosomes and comparing their development to those who have with typical sex chromosomes. John Money’s (1972) theory was that- ‘once a biological male or female is born, social labeling and differential treatment of boys and girls interact with biological factors to steer development’. This theory was an attempt to integrate the influences of nature and nurture.
Stronger but yet inconclusive data suggests that prenatal hormones influence the formation of gender identity. The unfortunate case of David Reimer, who was being "treated" by Dr. Money, is an indication that prenatal testosterone exposure has a lasting impact on gender identity. Reimer had a botched circumcision when he was a baby, so he had to be surgically altered, given hormone therapy, and raised as a girl. He was never satisfied living as a girl, so when he discovered what had happened to him seasons back, he made the switch to live as a man. However, this child was raised as a boy for at least the first eight months of his life, thus it is difficult to determine what effect this had on his dissatisfaction with a female sex assignment. Other clinical studies have revealed that certain XY children raised as girls from birth but with poorly developed or ambiguous genitalia due to cloacal exstrophy, 5'-reductase or 17'-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency, acquire a masculine gender identity. Prenatal testosterone exposure in all of these people emphasizes the potential significance of androgens in gender development and casts doubt on the idea that newborns are psychosexually neutral at birth. Contrarily, phenotypically female XY individuals born with an androgen receptor mutation that leads to complete androgen insensitivity are most commonly androphilic, indicating that androgens operate directly on the brain without the need for aromatization to oestradiol. Cross-gender identification in children has been well reported, but its frequency and long-term social repercussions remain unknown (Zucker 1985, Bradley 1985). It has never been proven that childhood gender confusion (or youngsters who identify as more than one gender) and homosexuality or transsexuality are specifically related. The little boy who plays dress-up and the young girl who plays with vehicles and footballs are both classic examples of gender confusion. These actions are seen as correctable and extremely likely. Gender problems are often identified when girls assert that they are biologically male, however when boys imply that they prefer feminine conduct and hobbies or would prefer not to have a penis, a clear double standard can be seen. (1991 Sedgwick). 
According to additional research, children's environment and upbringing have an impact on how they form their gender identities. This research can be summed up by stating that parental and authority figure teachings about sexual stereotypes that take place in or before the early part of middle childhood have a significant impact on children's interests, preferences, actions, and overall self-concept. Children who are encouraged that because they are a boy or a girl, certain characteristics or behaviors are acceptable or unacceptable for them to exhibit have a tendency to internalize and be impacted by these teachings in the future. Girls may report disliking math and denying their interest in the topic if they are told that boys are naturally better at it than they are. They may continue to struggle on arithmetic tests and homework since they think they aren't very competent at this academic subject. 
If we won't address intersex, our discussion on gender would be incomplete. A person who is born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't fall neatly into the "female" or "male" categories is said to be intersex. Intersex newborns and children may have procedures to alter their physical characteristics to conform to binary notions of "male" or "female." In most places, doctors always give intersex kids a legal gender male or female—but, much like with non-intersex people, this does not guarantee their gender identification as an adult. The best thing you can do for your intersex child is to love and support them as they are. It’s also a good idea to find some support from other parents with children who are intersex, and make sure your child has opportunities to connect with other children who are intersex.
 

About the author 

Mimisha Deka is a student at NMIMS Mumbai, pursuing B.Sc in Applied Psychology. Other than trying to live the “Loralai Gilmore” life, her other interests are dancing, singing and playing ukulele. Her life depends on her to-do lists, shopping and rewatching tbbt, gilmore girls and b99. If you ever want to have a deep conversation about life or discuss plots of murder documentaries, she’s your go-to girl. Kind hearted, spontaneous and optimistic are the words that perfectly describe her to a tee.