Discuss psychological explanations of gender development (Gender Schema Theory)

(8+16)

AO1

Created by Martin and Halverson, gender schema theory addresses the main issue with Kohlberg’s theory, which is that sex-typed behaviour emerges long before gender constancy. Gender Schema theory suggests that gender identity alone provides children provides children with the motivation to assume sex-typed behaviour patterns. 

A gender schema is an organised grouping of related concepts, which begins to develop at 2-3 years. Once children have gender identity, they accumulate knowledge about the sexes, organising this into gender schemas. These schemas provide a basis for interpreting the environment and selecting appropriate forms of behaviour, and thus children’s self-perceptions become sex-typed. In-group schemas are formed, concerning attitudes and expectations about one’s own gender, and out-group schemas are created regarding the opposite sex. Toys, games and even objects become categorise as “for boys” or “for girls”. Maccoby believed that because gender is clearly an either or category, children understand very early that this is a key distinction and it serves as a magnet for new information.  Alternatively, adults and other children emphasise gender differences in countless small ways.

AO2

Martin and Halverson asked children to recall pictures of people, finding that children under the age of 6 years recalled more gender consistent ones e.g. male footballer, than gender non-consistent ones e.g. male nurse. This supports the idea that young children have inflexible ideas regarding gender.

AO2 

Rathus also found evidence to support the existence of gender schemas. He found that children learn that strength is linked to a male stereotype, and weakness to a female stereotype.  They also learn that some dimensions e.g. importance of strength, are more relevant to males. This supports the idea that gender schemas provide children with a basis for interpreting the environment, as well as their own self-perception

AO2

Furthermore, children appear to pay greatest attention to ingroup rather than outgroup schema. Bradbard et al (1986) told four to nine year olds that certain gender neutral items (e.g. burglar alarms, pizza cutter) were either boy or girl items. Participants took a greater interest in toys labelled as ingroup (i.e. a boy Has more interested in a toy labelled as a boy's toy). Also, one week later, they were able to remember more details about ingroup objects. This shows how gender schema are related in particular to memory (organisation of information).

IDA

Another limitation of this theory is the issue of individual differences. Gender schema theory cannot explain why different children with much of the same environmental influences respond differently to gender-appropriate behaviour. For example, this theory cannot explain why some girls may prefer action figures and some boys may prefer Barbies. This may be due to biological differences such as genes and hormones, which gender schema theory largely ignores.

IDA 

It is assumed in this theory that it should be possible to change children’s behaviour by changing their schemas. In fact, it is very difficult to change behaviour even if certain beliefs are held. This is reflected by the fact that many married couples believe in equal division of household chores, but this rarely has much effect on their behaviour.