Cognitive Explanations: Martin’s Gender Schema Theory Flashcards
How do children develop their understanding of gender
By actively structuring their own learning rather than passively observing and imitating role models
What are schemas
Mental constructs that develop via experience and are used by our cognitive system to organise knowledge around particular topics
What is a gender schema
A generalised representation of everything we know in relation to gender and gender-appropriate behaviour
What happens once a child has established gender identity according to Martin and how does this contrast Kohlberg
Around the age of 2–4 they will begin to search the environment for information that encourages development of gender schema, contrasts Kohlbergs view that this process only begins after they have progressed through all three stages around age 7 with gender constancy
What do schemas include in young children
Wide range of behaviours and personality traits formed around stereotypes which provide a framework that directs experience, child has rigid and stereotypical idea about what is appropriate for its gender
What do children do with info about gender inconsistent behaviour
Misremember or disregard this info as does not fit with existing schema
Why do children have a better understanding of behaviour appropriate for their own gender
As children lay more attention to the information relevant to their gender identity as those of same gender are in the ingroup, also plays role in their self esteem
Why do children pay less attention to behaviour of opposite gender
Biased outlook, those of opposite gender are part of out group
Expand on strength that there is evidence to support gender schema theory
-Martin found that children under age of six were more likely to remember photographs of gender consistent behaviour than photographs of gender inconsistent behaviour when tested a week later, children tended to change the sex of the person carrying out the gender inconsistent activity in the photographs when asked to recall them
-supports idea that memory may be distorted to fit with existing gender schemas
-further found that children under the age of four who showed no signs of gender stability or constancy nevertheless demonstrated strongly sex typed behaviours and attitudes, consistent with the predictions of gender schema theory
Expand on limitation that theory cannot explain the similarities of expectations for male and female behaviour within most cultures
-around the world females and males tend to demonstrate stereotypically similar gendered behaviour-males demonstrate aggressive behaviours and females tend to demonstrate caring behaviour
-suggests gendered behaviour is due to innate, instinctual processes and is not a consequence of schemas, supports evolutionary explanation as if schemas were the full explanation would expect to see greater variability in gendered behaviour
Expand on strength that theory can account for the fact that young children tend to hold very fixed and rigid gender attitudes
-info that conflicts with existing schema eg idea of a woman working on a building site would be discounted or ignored in favour of info that confirms ingroup schema eg a woman working as a secretary
-similarly children display a strong ingroup bias in terms of how they process info which is explained by the fact that children pay more attention to info that is relevant to their own experience
-therefore martins theory can explain many aspects of young children’s thinking about gender
Expand on limitation that there may be overemphasis on the role of the individual in gender development
-it is likely that the importance of schemas and other cognitive factors in determining behaviour are exaggerated within the theory
-as with Kohlberg’s theory there may not be sufficient attention paid to the role of social factors eg parental influence and the role of rewards and punishments the child receives for their gendered behaviours
-the theory does not explain why gender schemas develop and take the form they do, does not consider all factors
