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How do we determine gender? What cognitive processes determine what we would consider to be an object or behaviour associated with being a male or female? Gender schema theory plays out in our minds in our earliest ages, helping us to navigate the world and how we interpreted those around us.We are going to explore gender in the context of…
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Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenHow do we determine gender? What cognitive processes determine what we would consider to be an object or behaviour associated with being a male or female? Gender schema theory plays out in our minds in our earliest ages, helping us to navigate the world and how we interpreted those around us.
Gender schema theory in psychology, developed by Martin and Halverson (1981), refers to how children learn about appropriate gender behaviour through observation. Children add information they learn to their gender schema by watching adults and peers behave in gender-appropriate ways and developing a gender identity based on these observations.
A schema is an organising structure that helps clarify and categorise new information in our memory.
Gender schema theory states that individuals tend to focus more on information relevant to their gender. This gender information is stored in our memory to make it more consistent with existing gender schemas.
Martin and Halverson (1981) suggest that children develop a schema regarding their gender around age three, which is a basic gender identity, as we mentioned above. Children form in-groups and out-groups, in this case, boys and girls.
As children grow older, they expand their gender schemas through observation.
Because most children desire to belong, they begin to identify with their gendered group, view it positively, and seek information about behaving more like members of their group. This helps the child develop gender identity – learning from others in their group about the norms of their gender and how to behave accordingly.
The construction of in-group and out-group also leads children to view the out-group as unfavourable and avoid behaviours associated with that group.
Martin and Halverson note that this desire to connect with one’s in-group and learn from others within that group is why young children begin to develop their gender identity and gender expression.
The gender schema theory has two types of gender-related schemas -- superordinate and own-sex schemas.
A superordinate schema helps young minds of children categorise the bounds of new information that are new to them, such as objects, traits, and characteristics that are associated with socially considered male and female categories.
Common examples of these schemas are girls having long hair or boys playing with cars and trucks.
The second schema type is the own-sex schema. When an individual learns more in-depth information consistent with their own sexual identity, this is considered their sex schema.
Superordinate and own sex schema allows individuals to process information about attitudes, roles, or behaviours that categorize these aspects as feminine or masculine.
Gender schemas affect which information is noticed, encoded, and remembered. Information inconsistent with the existing schema is often overlooked.
Research also shows that gender schemas guide children's preferences, toy choices, and play partner choices.
We can see various gender schema theory examples in society. A child living in a very traditional culture might believe that a woman's role is caring for and raising children, while a man's role is in work and industry. Through these observations, children form a schema about what men and women do within their cultures.
Another example of gender schema theory can be seen in how boys may watch their peers at school engage in sports typically deemed as masculine, such as rugby. They may then want to join other boys in playing these sports and attempt to join the in-group.
Alternatively, girls may watch their peers engage in sports that are deemed more feminine, and they will then seek to join the in-group and avoid joining sporting activities that are deemed masculine. Examples include sports such as netball.
Genders schema theory has its strengths and weaknesses, so what are they? It's important to evaluate a theory before applying it.
First, let's explore the strengths of gender schema theory.
Now, let's examine the weaknesses of gender schema theory.
One limitation of this theory is the many methodological problems with interviewing young children. One of these is that they are more likely to exhibit demand characteristics than adults.
Demand characteristics refer to when a participant behaves the way they think the researcher expects them to behave rather than to behave naturally.
In a later study, Martin and Halverson (1983) found that children absorb and retain more information when it fits their gender schema. They showed 48 five- and six-year-old children pictures of males and females performing stereotypical or nonstereotypical actions of their respective genders. One week later, they had to recall the activities and the sex of the person in the pictures. Children were more likely to correctly identify the gender and activity of the person in the picture if that person performed the stereotype-matching action. This finding suggests an internal schema for appropriate gendered behaviour.
Martin and Halverson (1981) proposed the gender schema theory. They suggested a child’s perception and development of gender identity stems from a particular thought pattern called a schema. It combines cognitive developmental theory and social learning theory. Because most children desire to belong, they begin to identify with their gendered in-group, view it positively, and seek information about behaving more like members of their group whilst viewing out-groups negatively.
Martin and Halverson (1981).
Role schema, object schema, self schema, and event schema.
Gender schema theory has been influenced by the work of Jean Piaget, in which he described schemas for the first time as small ‘pockets’ of information that we have regarding certain subjects. It combines cognitive developmental theory and social learning theory to understand gender development.
A good example of gender schema theory is when children develop the ability to label their gender and the gender of others. These labels allow children to form in-groups and out-groups, in this case, boys and girls. #
This helps the child develop a gender identity – learning from others in their group about the norms of their gender and how to behave accordingly. This construction of in-group and out-group also leads children to view the out-group as negative and avoid behaviours associated with that group.
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