gender schema theory

• what is gender schema

  an organised set of beliefs and expectations related to gender which are derived from experience.

  includes:

  • understanding of ones own gender
  • gender appropriate behaviour
• gender identity

  • suggests only gender identity is needed for the development of our gender schemas
  • contrasts kohlbergs view that we acquire our gender schemas once we have reached gender constancy
• schemas direct behaviour + self understanding

  • schemas in relation to gender are likely to be formed around stereotypes
  • schemas direct experience and a childs understanding of themselves
  • e.g. i am a boy so i play with cars and like the colour blue
  • children ignore information that doe not align with their schemas
• ingroups + outgroups

  children have a better understanding of schemas that are appropriate to their own gender. aligning with the notion that children only pay attention to information that is relevant to their own gender schemas and ignore any information that is to do with the opposite gender (outgroup ).

  around 8 years old, children begin to develop schemas in relation to both genders instead of their own
• evidence supporting gender schema theory

  • psychologists : martin and halverson
  • found boys under 6 years old were more likely to remember info that was consistent with their own gender
  • research showed 5 /6 year old picture of people carrying out activities
  • such activities were either consistent or inconsistent with the gender
  • findings showed recall for gender consistent pictures was good
  • when gender inconsistent pictures were recalled it was distorted
• overemphasises the role of individual genders

  • the theory doesn't pay attention to social factors such as parental influence and the culture surrounding us
  • ignores the role of reward and punishment and the fact that how they shape behaviour are likely to encourage gender stereotypes in the behaviour of children
  • the theory emphasises how schemas develop but not why gender schemas develop and the form they take
• rigidity of gender beliefs

  • the theory cannot account for why childrens beliefs and attitudes about sex roles are so rigid
  • information that goes against the existing schema is ignored and instead information that aligns with the ingroup is more favoured and therefore acknowledged
  • children display strong ingroup bias and this is explained through the way in which they pay more attention to information that is relevant to their own experience
  • thus, the theory explains aspects of children thinking about gender