Cognitive explanations of gender development Kohlberg's theory

Question 1

Summarise Kohlberg’s theory

Answer 1

The way we think changes as we get older it becomes aware of increasingly complicated and more abstract thinking

Question 2

What is the first stage of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 2

Gender labelling
- occurs between ages 2-3
- children at this age label themselves as a boy or a girl or a man or a woman
- the label is based on outward appearance such as hairstyle or clothes
- children will change the gender label as appearances change (he has got long hair so he is a girl)
- towards the end of this stage children not only label themselves but others.

Question 3

What is the second stage of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 3

Gender stability
- occurs at age four
- children realise that gender is constant overtime, boys grow into men and girls grow into women
- thus their gender is constant but it does not recognise consistency
- they do not understand that gender is constant across situations believing that males might change into females if they change into female activities
- children under seven are still swayed by outward appearances

Question 4

What is the third stage of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 4

Gender constancy
- occurs at age 6
- children realise that gender is constant across all ages
- they key feature of this stage is that only at this point when a child has learned gender constancy do they now learn about gender appropriate behaviour