Cognitive explanations: KOHLBERG

• Gender identity


  A child recognises that they are a boy or a girl and possesses the ability to label others as such
• Gender identity is acquired (according to Kohlberg's theory)

  Around age 2 years
• Gender stability

  A child understands that their own gender is fixed and they will be a man or a woman when they are older
• Gender stability happens

  Around age 4 years
• Gender constancy

  A child realises that gender remains the same over time and situations. They begin to identify with people of their own gender and start to behave in stereotypically gender-appropriate ways
• Gender constancy is reached

  Usually reached by age 6 or 7 years
• cognitive explanations - Kohlbergs stages of development

  • child's understanding of gender becomes more sophisticated with age
  • as a result of biological maturation
  • understanding of gender runs parallel to intellectual development as child matures biological
  • 3 stages
• cognitive explanations - Kohlbergs stages of development

  1. gender identity
  2. gender stability
  3. gender constancy
• cognitive explanations - Kohlberg stage 1: Gender identity

  • around 2 years = children are able to identify themselves as a boy or girl - gender idenitity
  • 3 years = children identify other people as boys/men or girls/women
  • simple labelling
  • don't view gender as fixed
• cognitive explanations - Kohlberg stage 2: gender stability

  • 4 years
  • realisation they will always stay the same gender
  • cannot apply this logic to other people in other situations
  • confused by external changes in appearance
  • people change gender if they engage in activities that are more associated with a different gender
• cognitive explanations - Kohlberg stage 3: gender constancy

  • final stage
  • 6 years
  • gender remains constant across time and situations - applied to other peoples gender and their own
  • still think non stereotypical appearances are unusual but gender is fixed
  • seek out gender appropriate role models to identify with and imitate
  • tendency towards gender stereotyping emerges
• AO3 - Kohlberg cog. explanation - strength

  P: research support - gender stereotyping does emerge at 6 as predicted

  E: Damon - told children story about a boy who liked to play with dolls and asked to comment on the story

  4 yrs - said it was fine to play with dolls

  6 yrs - wrong to play with dolls

  E: developed rules about what different genders ought to do - gender stereotyping

  L: reinforces kohlbergs prediction that children who have achieved constancy have rigid gender stereotypes
• AO3 - Kohlberg cog. explanation - limitation

  P: research - unsatisfactory methods to access gender constancy

  E: Bem - criticised the methodology used in studies

  • test of gender constancy is whether a child understands that gender stays the same despite external changes
  • younger children would be confused by this - this is how we determine gender
  • best way = physical differences (genitalia)

  E: 40% of children aged 3-5 were able to demonstrate gender constancy if shown a naked photo before showing the act

  L: typical way of testing gender constancy may misrepresent what younger children know
• AO3 - Kohlberg cog. explanation - limitation

  P: other researchers have suggested there may be different degrees of gender constancy

  E: Martin - exactly when and how this understanding affects children's gender-related behaviour remains unclear - different degrees

  • one degree may orient children to the importance of gender in choosing freiends/seeking info - before 6
  • a second degree may heighten children's responsiveness to gender norms

  L: acquisition of constancy may be a gradual process - may have been earlier