Schema-Directed Behavior and Self-Understanding

Gender schema theory posits that children's schemas expand to include a wide range of behaviors and personality traits as they develop. This process significantly influences their behavior and self-perception.

Example: A child might think, "I am a girl, so I play with dolls," demonstrating how schemas guide both experience and self-understanding.

Key points about schema-directed behavior:

1. Stereotypical framework: Children's schemas are likely to be formed around stereotypes, such as boys playing with trucks and girls playing with dolls.

2. Fixed ideas: By age 6, children often have rather fixed and stereotypical ideas about what is appropriate for their gender.

3. Selective attention: Children may misremember or discount information that does not fit with their existing schema.

4. In-group focus: Children tend to have a better understanding of schemas appropriate to their own gender, paying more attention to information relevant to their own sex.

Highlight: The development of gender schemas plays a crucial role in shaping children's behavior and self-concept, often reinforcing stereotypical gender roles.

Research and Evaluation of Gender Schema Theory

Research has provided support for gender schema theory, while also highlighting some limitations. Key studies and evaluations include:

1. Martin and Halverson's study (1983):
   • Examined children under 6 years old
   • Found children more likely to remember gender-consistent behavior
   • Children changed the sex of individuals in gender-inconsistent activities during recall

Example: Children might remember a woman washing dishes but change a woman fixing a car to a man in their recollection.

2. Aubry et al. (1999) longitudinal study:
   • Investigated preferences for gender-related items
   • Found reduced preference for items believed to be for the opposite sex

Highlight: These studies support the idea that children's behavior is shaped by their gender schemas, leading to the rejection of non-gender-appropriate behaviors and toys.

Evaluation points:

1. Strength: Longitudinal studies support the theory, demonstrating how children's preferences and behaviors align with their developing schemas.

2. Weakness: Critics argue that the theory overemphasizes individual cognitive processes and doesn't adequately account for social factors like parental influence and rewards/punishments for gendered behavior.

Vocabulary: Longitudinal studies - Research that follows the same subjects over an extended period, allowing for observation of developmental changes.

This evaluation suggests that while gender schema theory provides valuable insights into children's cognitive processes related to gender, it may not fully explain the complex interplay of factors influencing gender development.