COGNITIVE: KOHLBERGS THEORY

• KOHLBERGS Cognitive developmental theory

  emphasises the role of thinking in the process of developmental theory in the process of development. developmental = concerned with changes in thinking over time.

  There are three stages: gender identity, gender stability and gender constancy. 
• STAGE 1: GENDER IDENTITY (2YRS OLD)


  Children are able to correctly identify themselves as a boy or girl. (labelling).

  By 3 yrs old they can identify others as male/female and can select pics when asked "which one of these is like you?"

  • labelling = no sense of permanence
  • boy - "when i grow up i will be a mummy"
• STAGE 2: GENDER STABILITY (4 YRS OLD)


  Realise they will stay the same gender over time.

  but find it challenging to apply this logic to:

  • other people (e.g the idea that a man is a man even if he grows his hair long)
  • other situations (e.g believing that ppl change sex if they engage in activities which associate with other gender - female builder or a male nurse)
• STAGE 3: GENDER CONSTANCY (6 YRS OLD)


  They now recognise that gender remains constant across time and situations.

  can apply to others and themselves.

  may be amused with someone with the external appearance of the other sex (e.g a man in a dress) but they understand he is still a man.
• GENDER CONSTANCY 


  Also marks the point when children begin to seek out gender-appropriate role models to identify with and imitate.

  KOHLBERG = once the child has a fully developed and internalised concept of gender at the constancy stage, they look for evidence which confirms and gender stereotyping begins to occur
• (+) KOHLBERG 


  RABBAN =

  who found by asking questions about gender, that children’s thinking changes as they age. By three years most children demonstrated gender identity but did not have an understanding of what gender they would grow into. By five years, 97% demonstrated gender stability, supporting the stages of kohlberg’s theory. 
• (-) KOHLBERG - METHODOLOGICAL ISSUE 


  theory developed using interviews with children aged as young as 2 years old (issues with constant). Even though questions were tailored, children may not understand the questions, they lack vocabulary skills to articulate and express their understanding of complex issues. Also investigator bias and subjectivity on categorising and interpreting the answers. 
• (+) KOHLBERG 


  FREY AND RUBLE =

  who informed certain toys were either ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ toys. Boys who had achieved gender constancy chose ‘boy’ toys, even when they were uninteresting. Girls of the same stage exhibited similar tendencies to a lesser degree, giving some support to kohlberg's theory. 
• (-) KOHLBERG 


  Constancy may not be required which is preferred for stereotypical toys that occur before the age of 6 years . Bussey and Bandura found that children as young as 4 reported feeling good about playing with gender appropriate toys and ‘bad’ about doing the opposite.