Cognitive explanations for gender development

• Identify the two cognitive explanations for gender

  development.

  Kohlberg’s theory and the gender schema theory.
• Identify and outline the 1st stage of Kohlberg’s theory.

  • The gender identity stage – occurs between 2-3 years.
  • In this stage, the child can identify what gender themselves and other people are (i.e. boy or girl).
  • However, they do this by focusing on superficial characteristics e.g. hair length i.e. long hair = girl, short hair = boy.
  • Children at this stage do not understand that gender is permanent e.g. a boy may think he can grow up and become a mummy.
• Identify and outline the 2nd stage of Kohlberg’s theory.

  • The gender stability stage – occurs between 4-6 years.
  • In this stage, the child now understands own gender is permanent despite any appearance changes e.g. if a boy grows his hair long, he still recognises that he is a boy.
  • However, cannot apply this logic to other people e.g. if another boy grows his hair long, he is now a girl.
  • Also believe that people change gender if they carry out activities associated with the opposite gender (e.g. a female builder may be identified as a man).
• Identify and outline the 3rd stage of Kohlberg’s theory.

  • Gender constancy stage – occurs at 7yrs onwards.
  • In this stage: child now understands that the gender of both themselves and others remains the same despite changes in appearance/behaviour.
  • This results in them engaging in socialisation i.e. seek out same-sex role models (whom they identify with) and observe and imitate their behaviours.
  • This means that, according to Kohlberg, children do not actively process gender information until reach gender constancy stage i.e. 7yrs of age.
• Outline Kohlberg’s theory of gender development.

  1. Staged theory of gender development
  2. G identity=2-3yrs= identify gender on superficial characteristics e.g. hair. Don't recognise gender permanent.
  3. G stability=4-6yrs=learns own gender permanent despite appearance changes, can't apply logic to others.
  4. G constancy=7+yrs=child understands own& others gender permanent + actively start processing gender info: seeking same-sex role models: observe& imitate.
  5. Child’s understanding of gender=more complex with age.
  6. Biological maturation i.e. brains biologically mature, so too does gender thinking.
• Evaluate Kohlberg’s theory of gender development: supporting evidence

  e.g. researchers found children aged 4 and above could accurately identify whether boy or girl and whether would be mummy or daddy when older.

  Strength = supports proposal that understanding of gender stability occurs at this age range i.e. begin to understand their gender permanent. Also found aged 7+ spent more time observing images of same-sex role models rather than adults of opposite sex.

  Strength = supports proposal that children seek socialisation during the gender constancy stage. Therefore adds credibility.
• Evaluate Kohlberg’s theory of gender development: based off evidence that has methodological flaws

  Kohlberg identified stages through interviews with young children.

  Limitation = young children may have lacked vocabulary to fully express their understanding of gender = their understanding may be more complex at a younger age than suggested, it is just that they cannot verbalise this. Therefore questions credibility.
• Evaluate Kohlberg’s theory of gender development: argued to occur earlier than Kohlberg suggested.

  Kohlberg proposed children do not start actively process gender-related information until gender constancy stage of 7yrs of life.

  Limitation = evidence suggests children demonstrate sex-stereotypical behaviour before this e.g. younger boys refuse to play with dolls: actively processed what is and what is not expected of their gender. Findings better support gender schema theory: children actively process gender related information as soon as can identify whether boy or a girl at 2yrs.
• Evaluate Kohlberg’s theory of gender development: focuses on description rather than explanation.

  e.g. Kohlberg’s theory provides information on how children are likely to think about gender at different stages but fails to explain why this change happens other than vaguely stating due to biological maturation of brain.

  Limitation = limits ability of theory when it comes to explaining gender development. Therefore questions credibility.
• Explain what is meant by ‘gender schema’.

  Gender schema refers to mental representations/understanding about gender based on experiences.
• Outline the gender schema theory.

  1. Continuous theory gender devo: child understanding of gender ⬆️ complex as gender schemas develop.
  2. Begin actively process G info as soon can identify G at 2-3.
  3. Cause identify w/ in-group (same G)+seek info on G app. beh.
  4. =children positive eval in-group& negative eval out-group (boys favour boys not girls).
  5. Ignore/reject beh. asso. w/ other G (boys refuse dolls), + forget/distort info if doesn't fit GS (fem cook& mow lawn= remember fem cook).
  6. =children’s GS start simple&rigid. BUT, experience, children adapt GS to be more flexible (boys can like pink).
• Evaluate the gender schema theory: supporting evidence

  e.g. R showed kids pictures of ppl carrying out sex-

  stereotypical activities (consistent with gender schemas) (man mowing lawn) or non sex-stereotypical activities (not consistent with gender schemas) (woman fixing car). Found when tested kids week later, were better at remembering gender schema consistent images. Gender inconsistent pictures: children would distort images by recalling it was expected sex that did activity (man fixing car, not woman). Strength= supports proposal: kids distort info to fit

  gender schemas. Crediblity.
• Evaluate the gender schema theory: supporting ev from cross cultural research

  e.g. when examining diff tribes in Papua New Guinea, researchers found that gender behaviours of men/ women were very different. E.g. in one tribe, women more dominant than men– opposite to what we typically see in western society.

  Strength= these differences can be explained by fact that individuals in different cultures would have different environmental experiences and so would develop different gender schemas. This, in turn, leads to different gender behaviours. Therefore adds credibility.
• Evaluate the gender schema theory: considered more appropriate than Kohlberg's theory

  TIB it proposes that children start actively process gender-related info once can identify their gender at 2yrs, whereas Kohlberg’s theory proposes children don't start actively process gender related info until 7+ years.

  Strength= its proposal is better supported by evidence e.g.

  children as young as 2 can be seen engaging in sex-stereotypical behaviour (e.g. boys refusing to play with dolls) so must have processed this gender-related information. Therefore adds credibility.
• Evaluate the gender schema theory: focuses solely on the nurture perspective

  TIB GST emphasises environmental experiences help form& adapt gender schemas. Limitation= evidence to suggest that bio factors also play role e.g. atypical sex chromosome patterns found to lead to atypical G development e.g. shy, passive temperament in Klinefelter’s males. Bio explanation proposes chromosomes& hormones play significant role in gender. Evidence for both sides of argument= R now propose that biosocial approach to explaining gender more appropriate. ? cred.
• Identify similarities between the two cognitive theories for gender development

  Similarities:

  • Cognitive theories of development i.e. emphasise role of cognitive factors in G development.
  • Highlight importance of environment experiences e.g. Kohlberg’s socialisation focus during gender constancy stage& gender schema theory’s focus on forming& adapting G schema through enviro experiences.
• Identify differences between the two cognitive theories for gender development

  Differences:

  • Kohlberg= staged theory, GST= continuous process. TIB Kohlberg proposes kids progress 3 stages of gender: identity, stability, constancy. GST proposes children continuously develop understanding of G by adapting schemas.
  • GST proposes children begin actively process gender-related info younger than Kohlberg. TIB Kohlberg: children don't actively start process gender-related info until about 7yrs, GST states occurs at around 2 years when child can identify gender.