1st Draft Gender Schema Theory
Draft version: Psychological explanations of gender development
“Discuss gender schema theory” (8+16 marks)”
The Gender schema theory developed by Martin and Halverson (1981) explains gender development in terms of schemas which are organised clusters of information regarding gender appropriate behaviours. Such schemas provide a basis for interpreting the environment and selecting appropriate forms of behaviour, and thus children’s self-perceptions become sex typed.
Specifically, children form in group and out group schemas. In group schemas are formed concerning ones attitudes and expectations about one’s own gender, and out group schemas about the other gender. Alternatively, children tend to focus on in group schemas and avoid behaviours that belong to out group schemas hence, leading to a preference for same sex playmates and gender stereotyped activities.
However, gender schema undergoes change as a result of the development of general cognitive abilities in children. For example, pre-schoolers have a basic understanding of what activities and behaviour go with each gender by observing other children, whilst 4-6 year olds learn subtle and complex sets of associations for their own gender in terms of, what like favour and disfavour, how they verbally interact and how they play.
However, it is not until the ages of 8 to 10 that children develop a complex schema for the opposite sex and gender schemas gradually become flexible in late childhood and adolescence. This explains why teenagers abandon the assumption that what their own gender does is preferable.
This theory is supported by Martin and Little (1990) who found that preschool children have gender stereotypes about what is appropriate for boys and girls, before they develop much understanding about gender. This supports the gender schema theory because, it shows that children acquire information about gender roles hence, is in line with Kohlberg’s gender schema theory.
This is further supported by
“Discuss gender schema theory” (8+16 marks)”
The Gender schema theory developed by Martin and Halverson (1981) explains gender development in terms of schemas which are organised clusters of information regarding gender appropriate behaviours. Such schemas provide a basis for interpreting the environment and selecting appropriate forms of behaviour, and thus children’s self-perceptions become sex typed.
Specifically, children form in group and out group schemas. In group schemas are formed concerning ones attitudes and expectations about one’s own gender, and out group schemas about the other gender. Alternatively, children tend to focus on in group schemas and avoid behaviours that belong to out group schemas hence, leading to a preference for same sex playmates and gender stereotyped activities.
However, gender schema undergoes change as a result of the development of general cognitive abilities in children. For example, pre-schoolers have a basic understanding of what activities and behaviour go with each gender by observing other children, whilst 4-6 year olds learn subtle and complex sets of associations for their own gender in terms of, what like favour and disfavour, how they verbally interact and how they play.
However, it is not until the ages of 8 to 10 that children develop a complex schema for the opposite sex and gender schemas gradually become flexible in late childhood and adolescence. This explains why teenagers abandon the assumption that what their own gender does is preferable.
This theory is supported by Martin and Little (1990) who found that preschool children have gender stereotypes about what is appropriate for boys and girls, before they develop much understanding about gender. This supports the gender schema theory because, it shows that children acquire information about gender roles hence, is in line with Kohlberg’s gender schema theory.
This is further supported by