Gender schemas

Gender schema

Generalised representation of everything we now about gender and gender appropriate behaviour

Martin and Haluerson

Found that once a child has developed a gender identity at 2-3 YOs, they seek out information to create a gender schema. By 6, they have fixed stereotypes about what gender is and at 8+ they extend their understanding of gender to the opposite gender

BBC gender schema study

Presented adults with children dressed in boy and girl clothes and found evidence that adult gender schemas affected how they treated the children. Found little evidence of children seeking out information to fit their schemas

Martin et al.

6 YO children were shown pictures of males and females performing the same tasks and children better remembered the individuals performing gender appropriate tasks. Children would “change” the gender of people performing gender inappropriate tasks

Ruble

Gender schemas and constancy are two different processes