Cognitive explanations of gender development: Gender schema theory

Question 1

Schema

Answer 1

A cognitive framework that helps organise and interpret information in the brain
- Helps an individual make sense of new info

Question 2

Schema in children

Answer 2

• Children learn schemas related to gender from their interaction with others
• E.g. what toys to play with, which clothes to wear etc.

Question 3

Ingroup and Outgroup schemas

Answer 3

Ingroup- Group with which that person identifies with

• Ingroups enhance self-esteem as it allows an individual to say they successfully belong to a group and share specific qualities
• Negatively evaluating the other group motivates a child to be like their own group

Question 4

Gender beliefs

Answer 4

• Gender beliefs lead children to hold fixed gender attitudes
  e. g. If a boy sees a male nurse, he will ignore this as it’s fixed in his mind that only females are nurses

Question 5

Peer relationships

Answer 5

Playing with other children leads to children believing that girls have similar interests and boys have similar interests.
- There are also consequences associated with different social relationships. E.g. boys may be teased for playing with girls

Question 6

Evaluation- Gender schema without consistency

Answer 6

See last mini topic eval.

Question 7

Evaluation- gender identity even earlier

Answer 7

• Children were using gender labels by the age of 19 months. Zosuls (2009)
• Suggests the age related predictions from GST may be incorrect

Question 8

Evaluation- Gender Schemas may distort info

Answer 8

• Martin and halverson’s study, when children were shown consistent or inconsistent counter stereotypical studies, they distorted info
  E.g. A boy holding a gun (C) a boy holding a doll (I)
  Children described a girl as holding a doll.
• Support GST as it shows behaviour can be explained in terms of schema related behaviour.