kohlbergs cognitive explanation

• stages in development

  • childs understanding of gender develops with age
  • understanding runs parallel to intellectual development
• stage 1: gender identity 2-3

  • able to identify themselves as boy or girl
  • can identify other people based on outward appearances
  • arent aware sex is permanent
• stage 2: gender stability 4-5

  • realise they will always stay the same gender
  • cant apply this logic to others - easily confused by external changes in appearance
  • labelling is based on stereotypes
• stage 3: gender constancy 6

  • recognise gender is constant across time and situations
  • no longer fooled by outward appearances
• imitation of role models

  • at gender constancy children begin to seek out gender-appropriate role models to identify with and imitate
  • connects closely with SLT but Kohlberg suggests this only occurs after age of 6
  • once child has a fully developed and internalised concept of gender they begin the active search for evidence which confirms their ideas
• S - evidence supporting the stages

  • Slaby and Frey presented children with split-screen images of males and females performing the same tasks
  • younger children spent same time watching both sexes
  • gender constancy children spent longer looking at same-sex model
  • suggests kohlberg was correct in his assumption that children in constancy will actively seek gender-appropriate models
• W - constancy not supported

  • children begin to demonstrate gender-appropriate behaviour before constancy is achieved
  • Bussey and Bandura found children as young as 4 reported 'feeling good' about playing with gender-appropriate toys and 'bad' about doing the opposite
  • contradicts Kohlberg as it suggests children begin to absorb gender-appropriate behaviour as soon as they can identify themselves
• W - methodological issues

  • kohlbergs theory developed using interviews with children as young as two or three
  • may not have acknowledged that these children may lack the vocabulary required to express their understanding
  • children may have more complex understanding but just cant articulate it, meaning, what they express does not truly represent what they are thinking