Explanations of Gender Development: Evaluating Kohlberg

LO: To Evaluate Kohlberg’s (1966) Gender Consistency

Theory

Kohlberg’s (1966) gender consistency theory

Stages of development in gender identity

Stage

Gender Identity – 2-3yrs

Label self as boy or girl.

Gender stability –4-5yrs

Children understand they always have been and always will be a boy or girl.

Gender consistency – 6-7yrs

Children realise they will not change gender even if their appearance changes.

Key points to note: According to Kohlberg!!

Once a child has acquired gender consistency this causes them to pay more attention to same sex models and copy them.

This happens independently from parental rewardsKohlberg called this self-socialisation.

Children must acquire gender consistency before they start to show gender behaviours

Evaluation of Kohlberg's theory

• Supporting evidence – evaluate• Does gender consistency need to develop before children show gender

behaviours?• Are the ages & stages correct?

Put some notes on your white boards

Slaby and Frey (1975) Supporting Research

Questioning 55 children from age 2 -5 to assess their level of gender understanding

‘Which one are you?’ Tests gender identity

Aim: Whether children with higher levels of gender consistency show more attention to same sex models

Procedure

Young children can just point

Slaby and Frey (1975)

‘Were you a little boy or little girl when you were a baby?’‘Will you be a mummy or a daddy when you grow up’Tests gender stability

“If you wore a dress, would you be a girl?”Tests gender consistency

2 weeks later Children shown a film clip with a woman on one side and a man on the other side. •Children who had higher scores on gender consistency watched same gender models for longer e.g high gender consistency boys- 61 secs V low gender consistency 47 secs. •How does this support Kohlberg?

APFConclusion:How does this support Kohlberg?Ext: GRAVE

Evaluating Slaby and Frey Methodological issues:-Researcher bias?- Demand characteristics?- Correlational data so does not

suggest gender consistency causes gender imitation.

- Could be other factors such as…..

I will ask you, why does this matter!!

GRAVE

A02 Task: Point. Evidence. Explain. Link. Task: Create an extended burger paragraph; You must……

1)Bring in A02 language to introduce the research

2)Outline the research. 3)Explain how it supports the theory (link

back to Kohlberg). 4)Evaluate the research5)Why does this matter (link back to

Kohlberg)

Peer markingDid they done all 7? things?

1. Have they outlined the theories accurately?2. Have they explained HOW/WHY it causes anorexia?3. Bring in A02 language 4. Outline the research5. Explain how it supports the theory 6. Evaluate the research7. Why does this matter…

Feedback:1. “You have outlined the theories accurately.”

Or “you need to outlined the theories in more detail”2. “You have they explained clearly HOW/WHY the theory causes anorexia.”

Or “I didn’t fully understand how the theory caused anorexia, you need to include more detail”

Does gender consistency need to develop first before children show

gender behaviours?

However, Martin and Little (1990) have provided evidence that preschool children with very basic understanding of gender showed strong gender stereotype behaviours and same gender preference for peers and toys.

Add this to your burger paragraph andLink Back!!

What would you do to improve this paragraph?

Martin et al looked at the methodology used to

test Kohlberg's theory of gender consistency and

concluded that such methods could

underestimate a child's level of understanding.

Generally questions are asked about the sex

change of a doll or drawing of another boy/girl

e.g children are shown a drawing and asked

“could this boy change gender if he wore boy

clothes?”.

Ages and Stages No disagreement about order of stages but disagreement about ages at which they occur.

May be due to methods used to test children: Others vs Themselves Drawing V real photos

Research has shown that children grasp gender consistency earlier when applied to themselves or with real children.