Cognitive Explanations of Gender Development

Question 1

What does Kohlberg’s theory suggest?

Answer 1

That aged 2-6 we pass through 3 stages

Question 2

What is the first stage of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 2

Gender labelling

Question 3

What happens during the first stage?

Answer 3

2-3 years label themselves and ithers as a boy or girl based on outward appearances such as hairstyle or dress

Question 4

What is the second stage of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 4

Gender stability

Question 5

What happens in the second stage of kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 5

4 years olf children recognise that gender is table over time - boys grow into men
They do not recognise that gender is consistent across situations

Question 6

What is stage 3 of kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 6

Gender consistency

Question 7

What happens in the third stage of kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 7

Aged 6 children come to realise that gender is consistent across situations
eg that just because a biy may dress of play like a girl they remain a boy

Question 8

What is a criticism of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 8

It is descriptive rather than explanatory. Describing how a child’s thinking regarding gender changes as they get older
However theory fails to explain why gender schemas change with age

Question 9

What dies Kohlberg’s theory predict?

Answer 9

As infants grow older they are increasinglt accurate in correctly labelling gender
Thompson found that whereas 76% of 2 year olds could accurately identify their sex, 90% of three year olds could

Question 10

What did Martin and Halverson believe?

Answer 10

They agreed with Kohlberg that a child’s thinking is the basis of gender behaviour, but they believed the thinking starts earlier

Question 11

What does Martin argue?

Answer 11

The process of acquiring gender relevant information happens before gender consistency/ constancy is achieved
Basic gender identity acquired at gender labelling stage is sufficient for an infant to take an interest in and begin to identifiy with their gender

Question 12

What does the Gender Schema Theory argue?

Answer 12

Children gain their identity between the ages 2 and 3 when they work out that they are a boy or a girl
Their schema is very simple, consisting of two groups

Question 13

What is a schema?

Answer 13

Mental map of understanding or set of ideas about the world

Question 14

Why are gender schemas important?

Answer 14

They organise and structure the infant’s thoughts about information such as what behaviours or emotional responses are appropriate for males or females

Question 15

What does the first schema consist of?

Answer 15

2 categories: boy/girl
Own-sex = in-group
opposite sex = out-group

Question 16

What did Liben and Signorella’s study involve?

Answer 16

106 primary school children sixty drawings of male and female characters engaged in masculine, feminie and neutral activities and then asked them to recall as many as possible

Question 17

What were the results of Liben and Signorella’s study?

Answer 17

Children recalled more pictures of men performing masculine behaviours than of men performing feminie behaviours

Question 18

What were the conclusions of Liben and Signorella’s study?

Answer 18

The influence of gender schemas can be so strong that counter sterotypical information may be distorted