Kohlberg

Egocentric

All children are egocentric until 6 or 7 and acquire the idea of conservation - that an object’s properties stay the same even if their appearance changes

Stage one - Gender identity

Age 2 - Identify their own gender correctly

Age 3 - Identify other people’s gender correctly but do not understand their sex to be permanent

Stage two - Gender stability

Age 4 - Realise they stay the same sex

• Do not realise that others stay the same sex and are confused by atypical gender presentation e.g. men with long hair

• Believe sex can be changed by the activities you take part in

Stage three - Gender constancy

Age 6 - Realise that their own and others’ sexes are constant and no longer confused by outward appearance

Slaby and Frey

Children were presented with a split screen of males and females performing the same task. Young children spent an equal amount of time looking at both while older children looked at their own gender more

Munroe

Found cross cultural evidence of Kolhberg’s theory

Bandura

Children felt good about gender appropriate behaviour from as young as 4