Cognitive explanations: Gender Schema Theory

Question 1

What is a gender schema?

Answer 1

Set of beliefs or expectations related to gender that are derived from experience.

Question 2

Who developed Gender Schema Theory?

Answer 2

Martin and Halverson

Question 3

What is the assumption of GST?

Answer 3

That children develop their understanding of gender through actively structuring their learning and not by observing and imitating role models.

Question 4

At what age dpes a child start searching the environment for information to develop their gender schema?

Answer 4

Once gender identity has formed, around 2-3

Question 5

What are schema likely to be formed around?

Answer 5

Stereotypes

Question 6

By age 6 what do children have?

Answer 6

A fixed and stereotypical idea about what is appropriate for their gender.

Question 7

What do children do to information that doesn’t fit with their existing schema? (according to Martin and Halverson)

Answer 7

Dsiregard and misremember it.

Question 8

What is an ingroup schema and when do they develop this?

Answer 8

• Schema that fits with their own gender.
• Before age 8.

Question 9

What is an outgroup schema and when do they develop this?

Answer 9

• A schema of the other gender.
• Around 8.

Question 10

A strength of GST is that its key principles are supported by evidence.

Answer 10

• Martin and Halverson: found children under 6 were more likely to remember gender-appropriate behaviour photos than gender-inappropriate.
• Children often changed the gender of the person in the photos of gender-inappropriate behaviour.
• Supports GST that predicts children under 6 would do this.

Question 11

A strength of GST is that it can account for cultural differences in gender-appropriate behaviours.

Answer 11

• Cherry: argues gender schemas also influence what we see as culturally-appropriate gender behaviour.
• Martin and Halverson’s theory explains how gender schemas are transmitted through members of a society and how cultural differences in gender stereotypes come about.
• Contrasts with other explanations such as psychodynamic theory.

Question 12

A limitation of GST is that gender identity probably develops earlier than Martin and Halverson suggest.

Answer 12

• Zosuls et al: study of 82 children, at the onset of gender identity, when children labelled themselves as girl or boy occurred on average at 19 months.
• Suggests that children have a gender identity very early, just can’t communicate it.
• Suggests Martin and Halverson may have underestimated children’s ability to use gender labels.