gender development: Kohlberg’s theory A01

• -          A cognitive theory is one that explains behaviour in terms of thinking – both of the theories we study are not just cognitive ones but are cognitive developmental – so they explain how children change as they get older in terms of changes in the way they think
• -          there are psychological explanations for gender development, there are two cognitive explanations
• Kohlberg’s theory

  -          A cognitive developmental approach so explains how a child’s thinking develops as the age  - it emphasis the role of thinking in the process of development
• Kohlberg’s theory

  -          His approach explains both gender development and can be sued to explain moral development
• Kohlberg’s theory

  -          Kohlberg theory of gender development is influenced by Piagetian – cognitive developmental theory - idea that the way we think changes as we get older because of physical changes to the brain
• Kohlberg’s theory

  -          The brain becomes increasingly complicated and more abstract thinking so the changes in gender thinking ( the way we think about gender become more complex ) is because of aging which impacts a child’s cognitive capabilities

  The development of cognitive capabilities and this development happens in stages – called stage theory , children ill natural progress form one to the other as their way of thinking matures – it’s a gradual process – no sudden transition -
• Kohlberg’s theory-          stage 1 = gender labelling – occurs between 2-3 years and they label themselves later in this stage and others as boy or girl first – labels they give are based on outward appearance only , what their hair looks like or the clothes they wear – children change gender labels as appearance change – boy grows long hair must be a girl now .
• kolbergs theory

  Stage 2 = gender stability – age 4-6  they recognise their own gender as something that is consistent – but they still cant understand how a woman can have male characteristics like short hair so their gender labelling isn’t consistent of others –
• kolbergs theory

  Stage 2 =children under 7 still swayed by appearances they lack the ability to converse = (McConaghy found that when young children were shown a line drawing of a doll where the male gentiles were visible through the dolls dress the fact that there was an outward female picture the children under the age of 5 judged the doll as female despite evidence of gender )
• kolbergs theory

  Stage 3 = gender constancy – final stage occurs around age 6 and at this stage they learn gender is consistent across situations both time and place and are no longer confused by others who have characteristics of the opposite gender – now they can start to learn gender appropriate behaviour because up until this point the information wasn’t relevant because the child beliefs their gender may change.
• kolbergs theory

  Stage 3 = gender constancy –

  at this stage they will also seek out and imitate same sex models to confirm their beliefs and expectations about appropriate behaviour for gender.