Gender schema theory Flashcards
Cognitive explanations (11 cards)
Who proposed the gender schema theory?
Martin and Halverson
What does the gender schema argue?
Children’s understanding of gender changes with age
Develops their understanding of gender by actively structuring their own learning, rather than by passively observing and imitating role models
What is a schema?
Mental constructs that develop via experience
Used by our cognitive system to organise knowledge around particular topics
Gender representation of everything we know in relation to gender and stereotypically gender appropriate behaviour
What happens once a child has established gender identity?
Begin to search the environment for information that encourages development of gender schema
How do gender schemas determine behaviour?
Young children - Schema are likely to be formed around stereotypes
Providing a framework that direct experience as well as child’s understanding of itself
6 years - fixed and stereotypical idea about what is appropriate for their gender
What are children more likely to do?
Misremember or disregard information that does not fit with their existing schema
Why is ingroup information better remembered?
Children tend to have a much better understanding if the schema that are appropriate to their own gender
Children pay more attention to info relevant to their gender identity
Rather than outgroup
Not until older (8 years) they develop elaborate schema for both genders
Ingroup identity also serves to bolster the child’s level of self esteem
What is a strength of the gender schema theory?
Research support
Martin and Halverson
Children under age of 6 likely to remember photographs of stereotypically gender appropriate behaviour than photos of gender inappropriate behaviour when tested a week later
Children tended to change gender of person carrying out gender inappropriate activity when asked to recall them
Provides support
Which predicts that children under 6 years would do this
What is a limitation of the gender schema theory?
Gender identity probably develops earlier
Longditudinal study
82 children
Obtained data twice weekly reports from mothers on childs language from 9 to 21 months
Video tapes analysis of the children at play
How and when children labelled themselves as a boy or girl
Occurred on average at 19 months
As soon as children begin to communicate
Children actually have a gender identity before this but just don’t communicate it
May have underestimated children’s ability to use gender labels about themselves
What is a counterpoint to the limitation of the gender schema theory?
May not be appropriate to argue about specific ages
Key point is the shifts in child’s thinking and that the ages averages rather than absolutes
Possible that many children move through stages quicker or slower
Sequence of the development is more important
Finding of previous research is not a fundamental criticism of the theory
What is a strength of the gender schema theory?
Can account for cultural differences in stereotypical gender appropriate behaviour
Cherry
Gender schema not only influences how people process info but also what counts as culturally appropriate behaviour
Traditional views - raise children who form schema which is consistent with their view
Modern views - fluid schema
Shows how gender schema can be transmitted between members of society
Contrasts with other explanations like psychodynamic theory
