Cognitive explanations 2 - Gender schema theory

Martin and Halverson’s GST

Martin and Halverson's cognitive-developmental theory suggests that children's understanding of gender changes with age, and gender schema theory suggests children develop it through active learning rather than passive observation.

Gender schema after gender identity

Schemas are mental constructs developed through experience and help us to organize and interpret information.

A gender schema is a generalized representation of gender knowledge and stereotypical behavior.

Martin and Halverson suggest that children establish gender identity around 2-3 years, while Kohlberg believes this process begins around age 7 with gender constancy.

Martin and Halverson’s GST

Martin and Halverson's cognitive-developmental theory suggests that children's understanding of gender changes with age, and gender schema theory suggests children develop it through active learning rather than passive observation.

Gender schema after gender identity

Schemas are mental constructs developed through experience and help us to organize and interpret information.

A gender schema is a generalized representation of gender knowledge and stereotypical behavior.

Martin and Halverson suggest that children establish gender identity around 2-3 years, while Kohlberg believes this process begins around age 7 with gender constancy.

Gender schema determines behaviour

Gender schema in children is shaped by stereotypes, such as boys playing with trucks and girls playing with dolls.

This framework directs their experience.

By age 6, children have a fixed, stereotypical understanding of what is appropriate for their gender, leading to potential misremembering or disregard of information that doesn't fit within their schema.

What are the two schemas?

Ingroup and outgroup.

Children develop schemas for their own gender (ingroup) more than outgroup information, paying more attention to gender identity.

Around age 8, they develop elaborate schemas for both genders, boosting self-esteem.

AO3 - Research support

• (+) of GST is that its key principles are supported by evidence.

• People under 6 are more likely to remember photos that are stereotypically appropriate behaviour than gender-inappropriate behaviour.

• When asked to recall children tended to change the gender of the person carrying out the gender inappropriate activity, so that the gender is appropriate.

• Provides support for gender schema theory that determines that children under 6 years would do this.

AO3 - Earlier gender identity

• (-) of GST, it does not account for gender identity development before two.

• For example, Zosuls looked at 82 children over a year and looked at gender labelling, found to happen at 18 months and not 2yrs.

• This shows that Martin and Halverson may underestimated children’s ability to use gender labels about themselves.

AO3 - Cultural differences

• (+) Gender schema can explain cultural differences in stereotypical appropriate behavior.

• Cheery argues that gender schema not only influence how people process info, but also what accounts as culturally appropriate, gender behaviour.

• Halverson’s theory can explain how gender schemas are transmitted between members of society and how cultural differences in gender stereotypes come about.

AO3 - Nature and nurture

• (+) of the GST that supports the interaction between nature and nurture.

• For example, schema develops as we biologically mature and to some extent innate, supporting the involvement of nature’s development.

• However, schemas develop over time and experiences for example through socialization which considers nurture.

• Thus, schemas are strong explanations of gender to support the interaction between nature and nurture.