cognitive explanations for gender development

• What are the stages of Kohlberg's theory of gender development?

  1. Gender Identity (2-3 years)
  2. Gender Stability (3-4 years)
  3. Gender Constancy (6+ years)
• At what age do children begin to understand their gender identity?

  2-3 years
• What do children understand about gender at the gender identity stage?

  They can label themselves as boy or girl
• What is a key characteristic of the gender stability stage?

  Understanding their own gender is constant
• What do children seek during the gender constancy stage?

  Same-sex role models
• What did Slaby and Frey's research support?

  Kohlberg's stages of gender development
• What did Bandura's findings suggest about gender development?

  Children seek gender-appropriate models early
• What is a criticism of Kohlberg's theory regarding interviews with children?

  Children may not express themselves efficiently
• What is the main premise of Gender Schema Theory?

  • Children seek information about gender from age 2-3
  • Gender schemas are formed around stereotypes
  • Children pay more attention to their own gender's information
• What happens to children's understanding of gender schemas by age eight?

  They develop elaborate schemas for both genders
• What did Martin and Halverson find about children's memory of gender-consistent behavior?

  They remembered it better than inconsistent behavior
• What did Martin and Little's findings suggest about children under four?

  They showed sex-typed behaviors without stability
• What did Zosuls' study reveal about children labeling their gender?

  They label themselves around 19 months
• What are the three stages of Kohlberg's cognitive theory of gender development?

  Gender identity, stability, constancy
• At what age do children typically recognize gender identity?

  Around age 2–3
• What do children understand during the gender stability stage?

  Gender is consistent over time
• What realization occurs during the gender constancy stage?

  Gender is invariant across time and situation
• What did Slaby and Frey find regarding gender constancy?

  Children paid more attention to same-sex models
• What evidence contradicts Kohlberg's timeline of gender development?

  Children under 4 show strong gender stereotypes
• What cultural bias exists in Kohlberg's theory?

  Assumes all children follow the same stages
• What do gender schemas do according to gender schema theory?

  Organize information related to gender
• At what age do children begin forming gender schemas?

  By age 2 or 3
• What is the difference between "in-group" and "out-group" schemas?

  In-group schemas are well developed for one's gender
• What did Martin and Halverson find in their memory studies?

  Children misremembered gender-inconsistent activities
• What is a limitation of gender schema theory?

  Neglects social learning mechanisms