cognitive explanations of gender development

• the cognitive explanations view gender as being determined by our beliefs/ knowledge about gender
• the two main theories for the cognitive explanations of gender are

  • gender stage theory - KOHLBERG
  • gender schema theory - MARTIN and HLAVERSON; Bem
• KOHLBERG'S gender stage theory is based on PIAGET's theory of cognitive development
• KOHLBERG believed that children's thinking moves through stages of distinct ways of thinking as they mature
• children understand gender differently at different ages; in stages