Cognitive Explanations - Gender Schema Theory

    Cards (6)

    • Martin and Halverson's gender schema theory is also cognitive and developmental eg thinking changes with age

      children actively structure their own learning of gender

      this contrasts with SLT which suggests that children passively observe and imitate role models
    • schema are packets of information that develop through experiences

      they are used by us to organise knowledge

      gender schema contain what we know in relation to gender and gender appropriate behaviour
    • GST suggests that a child first establishes gender identity
      then the child begins to look around for further information to develop their schema
    • GST suggests the search for gender appropriate information occurs much earlier than Kohlberg suggested
      Kohlberg proposed that children needed to first achieve gender constancy but GST suggests this starts after gender identity and forms around age 3
    • gender appropriate schema expand over time to include a range of behaviours and personality traits based on stereotypes eg girls like dolls

      the schema direct the child's behaviour based on stereotypes eg I am a boy so I play with trucks

      by age 6, Martin and Halverson suggest children have acquired a fixed stereotypical idea about what is appropriate for their gender
    • children pay more attention to and have a better understanding of the schema appropriate to their own gender - ingroup

      this is compared to children of the opposite gender - outgroup

      ingroup identity strengthens the child's level of self esteem as there is always a tendency to judge ingroups more positively

      at around age 8, children develop elaborate schema for both genders