Cognitive Explanations: Gender Schema Theory

Question 1

What did Martin and Halverson suggest children’s understanding of gender changes with?

Answer 1

Age.

Question 2

What view do Martin and Halverson share with Kohlberg?

Answer 2

That children develop their understanding of gender by actively structuring their own learning rather than passively observing and imitating role models.

Question 3

What is a gender schema?

Answer 3

A generalised representation of everything we know in relation to gender and gender - appropriate behaviour.

Question 4

What did Martin and Halverson suggest happens once a child establishes gender identity?

Answer 4

They begin to search the environment for info that encourages development of gender schema.

Question 5

In young children what are gender schemas likely to be formed around?

Answer 5

Stereotypes which provide a framework that direct experience as well as the child’s understanding of itself.

Question 6

What happens by age 6?

Answer 6

Children have fixed, stereotypical ideas on what’s appropriate - children are likely to dismember or disregard info that doesn’t fit with their existing schema.

Question 7

What do children have a better understanding of?

Answer 7

The schema appropriate to their own gender.

Question 8

What happens to gender schema at around 8?

Answer 8

Children develop elaborate schema for both genders

Question 9

What does in group identity serve?

Answer 9

To bolster the child’s level of self-esteem.

Question 10

Research support

Answer 10

• Key principle supported by evidence.
• Martin and Halverson- children under 6 were more likely to remember photos of gender appropriate behaviours than gender inappropriate behaviours when tested a week later.
• Children tended to change the gender of the person carrying out the gender inappropriate behaviour.
• Supports gender schema theory which predicts children under 6 would do this.

Question 11

Earlier gender identity

Answer 11

• Gender identity probably develops earlier than Martin and Halverson suggested.
• Zoslus et al. Study of 82 children looked at the onset of gender identity - data was obtained by mothers twice weekly on language from 9 months - 21 months + videotaped analysis of children at play.
• Key measures of gender identity = how and when children labelled themselves as ‘girl’ or ‘boy’. = on average 19 months.
• Suggests that children have gender identity before this but don’t communicate it.
• So Martin and Halverson may have underestimated children’s ability to use gender labels about themselves.

Question 12

HOWEVER

Answer 12

• may not be appropriate to argue about specific ages.
• Suggests key point is the shifts in a child’s thinking and ages are averages rather than absolutes.
• Possible many move through stages slower or quicker than others.
• Sequence of development = more important.
• Zoslus eat al findings aren’t a fundamental criticism.

Question 13

Cultural differences

Answer 13

• Gender schema theory can account for cultural differences in gender-appropriate behaviour.
• Cherry suggested gender schema influences how people process info and culturally appropriate gender behaviour.
• Traditional cultures believe women will raise children and men will have a career - raise children who form the same schema.
• Martin and Halverson theory can explain how gender schema is transmitted and how cultural stereotypes come about.
• Contrats the psychodynamic approach which suggests gender identity is more driven by unconscious biological urges.