GENDER: COGNITIVE EXPLANATIONS - KOHLBERGS THEORY

Question 1

Kohlbergs cognitive developmental theory f gender is based on the idea :

Answer 1

a childs understanding of gender becomes more sophisticated with age

Question 2

understanding of gender relates to…

3 points

Answer 2

what coutns as appropriate gender roles, behaviours and attitudes

Question 3

a childs understanding of gender becomes more sophisticated with age BUT THE LINK WITH AGE IS NOT BECAUSE OF..

Answer 3

EXPERIENCE

Question 4

the link with age, in the sense a childs understanding of gender becomes more sophisticated with age, is due to

2 marks

Answer 4

biological maturation - as the brain matures so does thinking

Question 5

understanding of gender runs parrallel to .,

Answer 5

intellectual development as the child amtures biologically

Question 6

gender develpometn progresses through how many stages

Answer 6

3

Question 7

how do we describe the ages suggested by kohlberg in each of his stages

Answer 7

approximate

Question 8

the ages suggested by kohlberg in each stage are approximate and reflect the fact that…

Answer 8

transition from stage to stage is gradual instead of suden

Question 9

state the 3 stages

Answer 9

gender identity

gender stability

gender constancy

Question 10

STAGE 1 GENDER IDENTITY: arounf the age of 2 kohlberg proposed children are able to

Answer 10

to correctly identify themselves as a boy or gitrl

Question 11

STAGE 1 GENDER IDENTITY: at age 3 most chidlren are able to identify

Answer 11

other people as boys/men girls/women

Question 12

STAGE 1 GENDER IDENTITY: at age 3 most children can correctly repsond to questions such as … if

Answer 12

‘whihc one of these is like you?’ , if shown a picture of a man or woman

Question 13

STAGE 1 GENDER IDENTITY: hwever at age 3 theri understnding of gender tends not to stretch beyond

Answer 13

simple labelling

Question 14

STAGE 1 GENDER IDENTITY: how do children of this age group/3 view gender as

Answer 14

not fixed

Question 15

STAGE 1 GENDER IDENTITY: for instance how may we understand a child arounf the 3 yea old age group doens tview gender as fixed

Answer 15

2.5 year old boy might say ‘when i grow up i want to be a mummy’

Question 16

STAGE 2 GENDER STABILITY : According to kohlberg at age 4 chidlren acquire

Answer 16

gender stability

Question 17

STAGE 2 GENDER STABILITY : gender stability comes with the relasiatio that
2 points

Answer 17

they will always stay the same gender ; this aspect of themselves stays the same overtime

Question 18

STAGE 2 GENDER STABILITY : children gain the understanding they will always be te same gender but what ar ethey not able to do with this logic

Answer 18

cannt apply this logic to other people in other situations

Question 19

STAGE 2 GENDER STABILITY : carrying on from idea kids understand gender will remain fixed but arent able to apply thi slogic t other peopel and otehr situations - they amy be confused by … hint: appearance

Answer 19

often confused by external changes in appearance

Question 20

STAGE 2 GENDER STABILITY : explain how kids may be confused by external changes in appearnace

2 points/ways

Answer 20

may describe man wo has long hair as a woman

beleive people change gender if engage in activities more associated with the opposite gender r.g builder thats a woman

nurse thats a man

Question 21

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : Around the age of 6 kids recognise

Answer 21

gender remains constant over time and in different situations

Question 22

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : teh understanding gender remains constant over time and situations is applied to

2 points

Answer 22

other peoples gender

as well as their own

e.g if boy grows long hair they not sudenly a girl

Question 23

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : as a consequence that gender remaisn fixed kids no longer are

Answer 23

fooled by changes in outward appearance

Question 24

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : athough in this stag they amy regard a men wearing a dress as unsual a child is able to understand :

Answer 24

he is still a man ‘underneath’

Question 25

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : gender constancy is also significant in the fact kids of this age begin to seek out

Answer 25

gender appropriate role models to identify with and imitate

Question 26

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : seeking out gender approriate role models to ID with and imitate closely connects with ideas in

Answer 26

the social leatrning theroy

Question 27

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : the idea of sekeing gender appropriate role models etc connects with ideas of social learning thoery but social learning theorists argue

Answer 27

tehse processes can occur at any age rather than

only after the age of 6

Question 28

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : for kohlberg once a chid has a fuly developed and internalised concept of gender at this tage what do tehy embark on

Answer 28

active search for evidence whihc confirms that concept

Question 29

STAGE 3 GENDER CONSTANCY : what begins to emerge at this age?

after seeking appropriate gender models etc and emabrking on search for evidence which condirms internalsied concept of gender

Answer 29

gender stereotyping

Question 30

what is a strength o- research support

Answer 30

P: there is evidence to support Kohlbergs theory of gender by Slaby and Fray

E: Children were presented with split screen images of men and women performing the same tasks

E: Younger children spent an equal amount of time watching both sexes, while children in the gender constancy stage spent longer looking at the same sex models

L: This demonstrates the claim that children who have acquired gender constancy will actively seek gender appropriate role models

Question 31

strenght - internal validity

Answer 31

P: One strength of the research used to support kohlbergs cognitive theory of gender development is that it is high in internal validity

E: This is due to the fact that it was conducted in a controlled setting with standardised procedures

E: For example, each child saw the males and females carrying out the same activities to reduce confounding variables

L: Therefore, we can be sure that the conclusions about .gender constancy are genuine

Question 32

Limitaiotn - opposing research

• check this

Answer 32

P: there is opposing research to Kohlberg’s theory from Bussey and Bandura (1992)

E: They found that kids as young as 4 years old reported feeling comfortable when playing with gender appropriate toys and uncomfortable when playing with opposite sex toys

E: This demonstrates that many kids begin to demonstrate (gender apropriate beaviour?) before gender constancy is reached

L: Kohls theory therefore provides an incomplete explanation of gender; this research can be better explained by the gender schema theory which suggests children begin to absorb gender appropriate information as soon as they discover their own gender identity

Question 33

counterpoint ot limtiation of opposing research

coplimeting gender schema theory

Answer 33

P: However kohlbergs theory can be used to compliment the gender schema theory as both theories are describing slighlty diffrent processes in gender

E: Gender Constancy is about motivation, once children have a firmly established concept of what it is to be a boy or a girl, they are motivated to find more about this role

E: While the gender schema is more concerned with how organisation of information is misrembered or forgotten

L: together they provide a detailed account of how gender development occurs