Gender Schema Theory (AQA A-Level Psychology): Revision Notes
Gender Schema Theory
Introduction to the theory
Gender Schema Theory was developed by Carol Martin and Charles Halverson as a cognitive-developmental explanation of gender development. Like Kohlberg's theory, it argues that children's understanding of gender increases with age, but there are important differences in how and when this process occurs.
The theory suggests that children actively structure their own learning about gender rather than passively observing and imitating role models (as proposed by social learning theory).
Key Difference from Other Theories: Unlike social learning theory which emphasises passive observation and imitation, Gender Schema Theory proposes that children are active constructors of their own gender understanding from a very early age.
Key concepts
Gender schema
Definition: A gender schema is an organised set of beliefs and expectations related to gender that are derived from experience. These schemas guide a person's understanding of their own gender and what constitutes gender-appropriate behaviour in general.
Schemas are mental constructs that develop through experience and help our cognitive system organise knowledge around particular topics. Gender schemas represent everything we know about gender and gender-appropriate behaviour.
The development process
The theory proposes that gender schema development begins much earlier than Kohlberg suggested. Once a child establishes gender identity around age 2-3 years, they immediately begin searching their environment for information that will help develop their gender schema.
Critical Timing Difference: This contrasts sharply with Kohlberg's view that children only start actively seeking gender information after progressing through all three stages and reaching gender constancy around age 7.
How schemas influence behaviour and understanding
Schema formation and stereotypes
Gender schemas initially form around stereotypes, such as "boys play with trucks" and "girls play with dolls." These stereotyped beliefs provide a framework that shapes both the child's experiences and their self-understanding.
By age 6, children have developed rather fixed and stereotypical ideas about what is appropriate for their gender. For example, a boy might think "I am a boy so I play with trucks" - the schema directly guides both behaviour and self-concept.
Information processing biases
Children are likely to misremember or disregard information that doesn't fit with their existing gender schema. This selective attention and memory bias helps maintain and strengthen existing gender beliefs, even when contradictory evidence is presented.
Ingroups and outgroups
Children initially develop much better understanding of schemas appropriate to their own gender (the ingroup). This happens because children pay more attention to information relevant to their own gender identity rather than that of the opposite gender (the outgroup).
It isn't until children reach around age 8 that they develop detailed schemas for both genders. This ingroup focus also serves to enhance the child's self-esteem by making their own gender seem more important and well-understood.
Supporting evidence
Research Study: Martin and Halverson (1983)
- Participants: Children under age 6
- Procedure: Children were shown photographs of gender-consistent and gender-inconsistent behaviour, then tested a week later on their memory
- Findings: Children were more likely to remember photographs showing gender-consistent behaviour. When recalling gender-inconsistent activities, children often changed the sex of the person in the photograph
- Conclusion: This demonstrates that memory can be distorted to fit with existing gender schemas
Research Study: Martin and Little (1990)
- Participants: Children under age 4
- Procedure: Assessed children who showed no signs of gender stability or constancy
- Findings: Despite lacking gender constancy, these young children demonstrated strongly sex-typed behaviours and attitudes
- Conclusion: This contradicts Kohlberg's theory but supports gender schema theory's prediction that gender-typed behaviour begins with gender identity alone
Evaluation
Strengths
Explains rigid gender attitudes: The theory successfully accounts for why young children hold very fixed and inflexible gender attitudes. Information conflicting with existing schemas (such as women working on building sites) would be discounted in favour of information confirming ingroup schemas (such as women working as secretaries).
Accounts for information processing biases: The theory explains the strong ingroup bias children show when processing gender-related information. Girls would be more affected by examples of female behaviour because they pay more attention to information relevant to their own experience.
Complements Kohlberg's theory: Charles Stangor and Diane Ruble (1989) suggested that gender schema theory and gender constancy may describe two different processes. Gender schema explains how information organisation affects memory, while gender constancy relates more to motivation. Once children achieve gender constancy, they become motivated to learn more about their gender role.
Weaknesses
Overemphasis on individual factors: The theory may exaggerate the importance of schemas and cognitive factors in determining behaviour. Like Kohlberg's theory, it may not give sufficient attention to social factors such as parental influence and the role of rewards and punishments for gendered behaviour. The theory doesn't adequately explain why gender schemas develop in the forms they do.
Key assumptions lack support: The theory assumes it should be possible to change children's behaviour by changing their schemas or stereotypes. However, research shows it's very difficult to change behaviour even when certain beliefs are held. For example, Kane and Sanchez (1994) found that married couples with strong views about gender equality and equal division of household labour rarely translate these beliefs into actual behavioural changes. This challenges the theory's core assumption that attitudes determine behaviour.
Key Points to Remember:
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Gender Schema Theory suggests gender development begins with gender identity around age 2-3, much earlier than Kohlberg proposed
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Children develop organised mental frameworks (schemas) about gender that guide their behaviour and information processing
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Initially, children focus on ingroup (own gender) schemas before developing outgroup understanding around age 8
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The theory explains rigid gender attitudes and memory biases for schema-consistent information
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Weaknesses include overemphasis on individual cognitive factors and lack of support for the attitude-behaviour link