Gender - Cognitive Explanations Of Gender Development (Gender Schema Theory) Flashcards
Who proposed the gender schema theory?
Martin & Halverson
What is the gender schema theory?
Argues child’s understanding of gender increases with age & children develop their understanding of gender by actively structuring learning not passively observing
What is a schema?
Mental construct that develop via experience, used by cognitive system to organise knowledge around particular topics
What is a gender schema?
An organised set of beliefs & expectations related to gender that are derived from experience which guides a person’s understanding of their own gender & gender-appropriate behaviour
According to Martin & Halverson, what happens once a child establishes gender identity (age 2-3)?
He/she will search environment for info that encourages development of gender-schema
How does this view contrasts kohlbergs theory?
Kohlberg suggests this process only occurs after they’ve progressed through all 3 stages (around age 7 with gender constancy)
Describe the study by Boston & Levy that supports the gender schema theory?
Method: b/g between 3-6 asked to put sequences of pictures in order (described activity e.g. cooking (f), building birdhouse (m)
Results: both m&f accurate in putting sequences of pics in right order for own gender activity (more noticeable in boys)
Conclusion: task required detailed knowledge of activity b&g must have better knowledge of own that opposite gender activities
What does schema also include?
Wide range of behaviours & personality traits
How do schemas form in young children?
Around stereotypes
How can stereotypes form a schema?
Provide a framework that directs experience as well as child’s understanding of itself
By what age does a child have a fixed stereotypical idea of gender?
6
What happens to information that doesnt align with the child’s schema?
The information is likely to be discarded or misremembered
Do children have a better understanding of the schemas appropriate to the ingroup or outgroup?
Ingroup -> their own gender
At what age to children develop elaborate schemas for both genders?
8
What evidence from Martin and Little supports the gender schema theory?
found that children under the age of 4 (showed no signs of gender stability and constancy) demonstrated strongly sex-typed behaviours & attitudes
contradicts kohlbergs theory & is consistent with GST
How can the gender schema theory explain children’s ridged gender beliefs?
children display strong in-group bias in how they process information -> pay attention to information relevant to their own as information that conflicts the existing schema is ignored in favour of info confirming in-group schema (GST can explain many aspect of young children’s thinking about gender)
How is an overemphasis on the role of the individual in gender development a limitation of GST?
Not enough attention paid to role of social factors, parental influence or role of reward and punishment for acting in alignment with gender roles -> doesnt explain why children develop schemas and take the form that they do
What is a strength of GST, proposed by Stangor & Ruble?
gender schema & gender constancy describe 2 different processes
- gender schema: how organisation of info affects memory -> explains how gender inconsistent info is forgotten
- gender constancy: linked to motivation (once child has established concept of being b/g -> look for role models supporting this)
