Cog Exp: Gender Schema Theory

Question 1

Gender Schema Theory

Answer 1

1) Martin and Halverson’s (1981) gender schema theory (GST) combines cognitive-developmental theory and SLT.

Question 2

Gender Schema

Answer 2

Schema - mental/ cognitive framework that develop via experience.

1) Used by us to organise our knowledge.
2) Gender schema contain what we know in relation to gender and gender-appropriate behaviour.

Question 3

Gender Identity

Answer 3

Gender Schema develop after Gender Identity

1) GST suggests that first a child establishes gender identity (2-3 yrs).
2) Child then begins to look around for further info to develop their schema.

Question 4

Gender Stereotypes

Answer 4

1) Gender-appropriate schema expand over time to include a range of behaviours and personality traits based on stereotypes (e.g. boys liking trucks and girls liking dolls).

2) The schema direct the child’s behaviour based on stereotypes (e.g. ‘I am a boy so I play with trucks’).

3) By 6 years of age Martin and Halverson suggest children have acquired a rather fixed and stereotypical idea about what is appropriate for their gender.

Question 5

Ingroup & Outgroup

Answer 5

1) Children pay more attention to, and have a better understanding of, the schema appropriate to their own gender (ingroup) than those of the opposite gender (outgroup).
2) Ingroup identity bolsters the child’s level of self-esteem as there is always a tendency to judge ingroups more positively.
3) At around 8 years of age children develop elaborate schema for both genders.

Question 6

Strength of GST

Answer 6

RESEARCH SUPPORT

1) Martin and Halverson (1983) found that children under 6 were more likely to recall gender-appropriate photos than gender-inappropriate ones when tested a week later.
2) Children tended to change the gender of the person carrying out the gender-inappropriate activity in the photographs when asked to recall them.
—> Supports gender schema theory which predicts that children under 6 would do this (in contrast with KB who said this happens in older children.

Question 7

Strength of GST

Answer 7

CAN ACCOUNT FOR CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

1) Cherry (2019) argues gender schema not only influence how people process info but also what counts as culturally-appropriate gender behaviour.
2) In societies where perceptions of gender have less rigid
boundaries, children are more likely to acquire non-standard gender stereotypes.
—> Contrasts with some other explanations of gender development, such as psychodynamic theory, which suggests gender identity is more driven by unconscious biological urges.

Question 8

Limitation of GST

Answer 8

GENDER IDENTITY PROBABLY DEVELOPS EARLIER

1) Alexander et al (2009) who stated that the age at which children develop gender schema is actually younger than originally proposed.
2) Alexander and team studied 3 to 9 month old infants.
3) Using eye-tracking technology, the results showed that the boys looked at the truck more than the girls and the girls looked at the doll more than they boys.
–> This indicates that preferences for gender stereotyped toys develops at an earlier age.