Cognitive explanation for gender- Gender Schema

Question 1

what is a gender schema?

Answer 1

• mental building block of knowledge that contains info about each gender

Question 2

what happens to gender schema’s as we grow up?

Answer 2

• build on the blocks of knowledge
• initally very simple and made up of steretypes so grow up believing all males similar and all females similiar

Question 3

what happens at age 2?

Answer 3

• know whether boy or girl (same as Kolberg)
• can identify others as boys or girls
• learn about gender activity from experience in environment (different to kolhberg)

Question 4

what happens at age 6?

Answer 4

• learn about objects, activites and behaviours that are associated with each sex
• gender schema form based on gender stereotypes
• concentrate on things that are appropriate to own sex and less on things for opposite sex. FIXED IDEAS

Question 5

what happens at age 8+?

Answer 5

• formed detailed elaborate schema about other gender

Question 6

what happens when we are teens?

Answer 6

• rules about gender are socially constructed and schemas become more flexible as a result.
• androgyny can develop in late teens

Question 7

evaluation points?

Answer 7

• supporting research
• contradcitory research
• explains cultural differences
• reductionist

Question 8

supporting research?

Answer 8

Martin and Halverson
- suggests children under 6 are less likely to remember an atypical picture than gender consistent behaviour
- picture doesnt fit with their gender schemas so just ignore it. skill would only be accessible at age 8

counter-> low ecological validity (picture), self report, bias (Martin) = unvalid

Question 9

contradictory research?

Answer 9

Zosuls
- longtitudional stuy looking at onset of gender identity, reports from mothers of childrens language age 9 to 21 months
- how and when labelled themselves girl/boy
- occured at 19 months-> almost as soon as started to communicate so have gender identity before this just dont communicate it
- underestimates ability to use gender labels

Question 10

how does the theory explain cultural differences?

Answer 10

• Cherry-> gender schema influences what counts as culturally appropriate gender behaviour.
• societies where gender have less rigid boundaries children more likely have fluid gender schemas
• Martin + Halverson explain how G.S transmitted between members of society

• contrasts psychodynamic-> gender identity driven by unconscious biological influences (universal)

Question 11

how is the theory reductionist?

Answer 11

• ignores other explanations/ factors like biological factors (genetics) like testerone (aggression) and oestrogen (emotionality)
• partial explanation/limited-> better for hollistic explanation