cognitive approach - gender schema theory

Question 1

what are gender schema?

Answer 1

short cuts on how each gender should behave

Question 2

how do children learn schema in relation to gender?

Answer 2

from other children, adults, the media - they learn what is appropriate for men and women

Question 3

what do martin and halverson argue?

Answer 3

• disagreed with kohlberg in 2 ways
• learn gender related behaviors in stage 1
• acquisition of these gender stereotypes has long lasting effects upon behavior

Question 4

what is the ingroup?

Answer 4

group with which a person identifies
being a girl means you identify yourself with that ingroup, vice versa for boys

Question 5

what happens after a child identifies with the ingroup?

Answer 5

they positively identify with their own group and negatively evaluate the outgroup
people do this because it enhances their self esteem
this evaluation motivates a child to be like their own group and avoid the behaviors of the other group

Question 6

what is the benefit of intergroup schemas?

Answer 6

allows people to quickly learn gender specific behaviors

Question 7

how do this impact the resilience of gender beliefs?

Answer 7

• gender schemas result in children having very fixed beliefs on gender
• they ignore information that is not consistent with ingroup information
• therefore schemas are never altered
• wider than just gender - means that memory may be wrong and interpretations may be incorrect

Question 8

how does this then impact peer relationships?

Answer 8

• you’re not like me and therefore we don’t play together
• teasing happens if friendships are made with inter sex friendships