Schema Theory of

Gender Development

- part of the

cognitive approach

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

A schema is a packet of thoughts – a mental building block of thinking. This shorthand way of thinking saves us having to wade through lots of thoughts to reach a conclusion.

E.g. in a supermarket, we would expect the dog biscuits to be next to the tinned dog food, rather than near the biscuits we eat

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

A schema can be strengthened or changed as a result of experience, e.g. I now know that supermarkets change their shelves around at Christmas time

So, children put together a schema of what is normal for each gender … and how to grow up into that gender.

Stereotyping?

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

Ages & Stages:

Gender Labelling: up to 3 years – children realise they are either a boy or a girl and they can recognise others of their own gender and those of the opposite gender

Gender Stability: 3 to 5 years – boys know they will become men and girls know they will become women (but are confused by pantomime dames …)

Gender Constancy: 6+ years – they accumulate more knowledge about their own gender than the opposite one and therefore behave according to what they see in others of their own gender

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

Nowhere is this more apparent than with toys …

Schema Theory of Gender

Development Two Year 11 girls

decided to try this

out at our local

nursery a few

years ago.

They tipped out a

load of toys and

let the 3-year olds

loose …

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

Results:

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

Martin (1989)

Young children have a stereotype of boys liking boys’ toys and girls liking girls’ toys

Older children are more able to accept that boys sometimes play with girls’ toys and vice versa

vs.

+

Conclusion?

Young children

have a

stereotyped

view of gender;

older ones are

more flexible

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

A young boy and his father are in a car

accident. The father dies at the scene. The

boy is transported to the hospital, taken

immediately into surgery... but the surgeon

steps out of the operating room and says, "I

can't operate on this boy - he is my son!"

The question: Who is the surgeon?

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

The answer: the surgeon is the boy’s mother

So what stage of gender schema theory are you at?!

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

Not everyone is the same though …

Individual Differences:

Children who are stereotyped (“gender-

schematised”) look for evidence to back up that

prejudice while others are more flexible

The less usual gender occupations are done by

people who are less gender-schematised (i.e. more

flexible). E.g. male nurses, female truck drivers

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

Schema Theory of Gender

Development

Evaluation

We have looked at theories of gender identity –

biological, psychodynamic, social learning

theory (inc. media) and schema theory.

+ Of all these, schema theory seems to be the

best explanation because it makes most sense

(“ecologically valid”) and is the easiest to test

- But it ignores genes & hormones, parents and

those children who are not strongly gender-

schematised