Gender Schema Theory - cognitive explanation Flashcards
Who created the gender schema theory?
Martin and Halverson, Bem
What does the theory suggest?
That gender identity alone provides children with the motivation to assume sex typed behaviour patterns
What is the difference between this theory and Kohlberg’s?
For the initial understanding for gender to develop, children need not understand that gender is permanent
How is this theory similar to the social learning theory?
The children learn “appropriate” patterns of behaviour
How is this theory similar to Kohlberg’s theory?
Children’s active cognitive processing of information also contributes to sex typing
What is a gender schema?
An organused grouping of related gender concepts
What age does a gender schema start to develop?
Ages 2-3
What do gender schema’s provide?
A basis for interpreting the environment and selecting appropriate forms of behaviour and thus children’s self perceptions become sex-typed.
What are the two types of gender schemas?
In-group
Out-group
What is an in-group schema?
Schemas concerning attitudes and expectations about one’s own gender
Positive
What is an out-group schema?
Negative schemas about attitudes and expectations concerning the other gender
What does Maccoby believe?
Gender is clearly an either/or category and children understand very early on that this is a key distinction and it serves as a magnet for new information
What happens once an early schema is established?
Many experiences are assimilated and children show preference for same sex playmates and gender stereotypical activities, actively ignoring the other gender
Do gender schemas under go change?
Yes, they undergo development change as children’s general cognitive abilities develop
What do preschoolers do relating to gender?
Learn distinctions about what kinds of activities and behaviours go with each gender by observing other children and through reinforcements received from parents.
What do children ages 4-6 do relating to gender?
Learn complex and subtle sets of associations for their own gender and what children of the same gender like, how they play and talk
What age does gender constancy occur?
5-6 years
What happens during gender constancy?
Children’s understanding of “What people like me do” becomes more elaborated. This rule is treated as absolute
What do children in late childhood and early adolescence do relating to gender?
They understand that rules are just social constructions and that gender-role schemas becomes more flexible
They abandon the automatic assumption that what their own gender does is preferable and a significant minority of teenagers identify as androgynous
What did Masters et al find?
Children aged between 4 and 5 years old selected toys by their gender label rather than which gender was seen to be playing with them
What did Martin and Halverson find?
Asked children to recall pictures of people finding that children under the age of 6 recalled more gender-consistent ones
What did Martin and Little find?
Preschool children have gender stereotypes about what is appropriate for boys and girls before they even develop much understanding about gender, supporting the idea of the formation of gender schema
What did Campbell find?
Even the youngest infants between 3 and 18 months had preference for watching same sex babies and by 9 months, boys showed an increased tendency to pay attention to boys toys
What does the theory explain?
Why children’s attitudes and behaviour concerning gender are rigid and long lasting. They only focus on things that confirm and strengthen their schema and ignore behavioural examples which contradict the theory
It also explains why children are more likely to model gender-appropriate behaviour rather than imitating a same-sex model demonstrating non-gender appropriate behaviour
What are some evaluative points of the gender schema theory?
Much research support
When children perform activities which are not normally stereotypical of their gender, they just change their thinking so it is acceptable - implies that thinking is affected by behaviour while cognitive schema predicts opposite
It is reductionistic - neglects influence of biological factors, assuming that all gender related behaviour is created through cognitive means
