Gender Schema Theory

Question 1

What are gender schemas?

Answer 1

Organised set of beliefs and expectations about gender which guide gender-appropriate behaviour

Question 2

How is gender schema theory similar to Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 2

• Both believe the child’s thinking is the basis for gender development
• Both believe children actively structure their own learning about their gender concept rather than passively observing

Question 3

How is gender schema theory different from Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 3

• Martin and Halverson argue that the age of onset for searching for evidence of gender concept, is 2-3 years old, before gender constancy (7), as they claim gender identity is sufficient to encourage the development of gender schema
• They also suggest that the acquisition of schemas affect later behaviour, like memory.

Question 4

What are gender scripts?

Answer 4

Children develop scripts of activities/actions that male and females stereotypical perform (fixing a car, cooking)

Question 5

What happens at the age of 6?

Answer 5

• Children monitor their environment for information and behaviour that are consistent with their ideas of appropriate male and female behaviour and add this to their schema
• By 6, children have a stereotypical and fixed view of what’s gender appropriate

Question 6

Describe the role of ingroups and outgroups in gender

Answer 6

• Children have a better understanding of the schemas that relate to their own gender (in-group), than the opposite gender (out-group)
• e.g. boys pay close attention to boys toys and pay minimal attention to anything ‘girly’.
• Children are likely to play with the same-sex groups, and look to the environment to build their gender schemas
• In-group identities serves to increase the child’s self-esteem

Question 7

What happens at the age of 8?

Answer 7

Children build a more elaborate schemas for their out-group, so they have developed knowledge on both groups

Question 8

Give evaluation for gender schema theory (research support)

Answer 8

• Martin and Little found children under the age of 4 showed no signs of gender stability or constancy. However they did show strong gender stereotypes about what girls and boys can do.
• This shows that children have acquired information about gender roles before gender constancy, this then supports the notion of gender schema theory that children can search for evidence of their gender at around 2-3.

Question 9

Give evaluation for gender schema theory (rigid beliefs)

Answer 9

• Gender schema theory accounts for why children’s beliefs and attitudes about sex roles are so rigid
• Studies have supported this notion, e.g. when young children watch films that depict contradicting gender role behaviour, they tune them out
• This means that children ignore behaviours that go against their gender schema
• However, Hoffman found children whose mothers work (not a stereotypical gender role) have less stereotyped views of what men do. Therefore, children may not have entirely fixed views, but are receptive to some gender-inconsistent stereotypes.

Question 10

Give evaluation for gender schema theory (cultural differences)

Answer 10

• Gender schema theory acknowledges cultural differences in stereotypically gender-appropriate behaviour. Cherry argues gender schemas influences what counts as culturally-appropriate behaviour.
• e.g. Traditional cultures where both genders take very stereotypical roles in the family, will raise children who form a schema which are consistent with this view. But in societies where gender roles have less rigid boundaries, children are likely to acquire more fluid gender schema.
• Therefore, this explains how cultural differences in gender stereotypes come about.

Question 11

Give evaluation for gender schema theory (schemas organise memory)

Answer 11

• As gender schemas are important in acquiring information about ingroup stereotypes, we would expect children to pay more attention to information consistent with gender schemas and then remember this information better
• Martin and Halverson showed children, under the age of 6, either schema-consistent (girls playing with a doll) or gender-inconsistent pictures (girl playing with a gun)
• Recall for schema-consistent pictures were good while recall for schema-inconsistent were often distorted
• This shows how gender schemas influences and organises memory.