Cognitive explanations of gender development: Gender schema theory

Question 1

What is a schema?

Answer 1

A cognitive framework that helps us to assimilate new information

Question 2

Who proposed gender schema theory?

Answer 2

Martin and Halverson

Question 3

How do children learn gender schemas?

Answer 3

Through interaction with other children and adults + the media

Question 4

What is an ingroup?

Answer 4

A group that we identify with

Question 5

What is an outgroup?

Answer 5

A group that we do not identify with

Question 6

How do children evaluate their ingroup?

Answer 6

Positively

Question 7

How do children evaluate their outgroup?

Answer 7

Negatively

Question 8

Why do people positively evaluate their ingroup?

Answer 8

It enhances their self esteem

Question 9

Why do gender schemas lead to rigid gender attitudes?

Answer 9

Because we only assimilate consistent information

Question 10

Why do children avoid interactions with members of the opposite sex?

Answer 10

Because they get teased for it

Question 11

What are the 4 GST AO3 points?

Answer 11

1) RS for gender schemas without constancy
2) Gender identity earlier than proposed
3) Gender schemas organise memory
4) RWA - resilience of children’s gender schemas

Question 12

What aged children did Martin and Little study?

Answer 12

4

Question 13

What did Martin and Little find no sign of in the 4 year olds?

Answer 13

Gender stability or constancy

Question 14

What did Martin and Little observe in the 4 year olds?

Answer 14

Strong stereotypes about boy and girl appropriate behaviour

Question 15

How does Martin and Little’s research contradict Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 15

Children developed awareness of gender appropriate behaviours before gender constancy

Question 16

What did Zosuls observe?

Answer 16

Children’s language + them playing to see when they started gender labelling

Question 17

What age did Zosuls find that gender labelling occurs?

Answer 17

19 months

Question 18

How is Zosuls research a criticism of GST?

Answer 18

Contradicts the age related predictions of the GST

Question 19

What task did Martin and Halverson have the children do?

Answer 19

Recall pictures of men or women in different work uniforms

Question 20

What did Martin and Halverson find children under the age of 6 recalled?

Answer 20

Gender consistent images (e.g. male firefighter and female teacher)

Question 21

Outline the study with gender neutral toys that supports the GST.

Answer 21

Children were shown gender neutral toys which were then labelled ‘girls toys’ or ‘boys toys’. The children paid most attention to the toys of their ingroup

Question 22

How can GST be used to explain sexism in children?

Answer 22

Children seek out gender-appropriate schemas and tend to ignore counter-stereotypes

Question 23

What did Hoffman find?

Answer 23

That children whose mothers work have less stereotyped views of what men do