Kohlberg’s theory (1966) is an example of a cognitive developmental approach which emphasises the role of thinking or cognition in the development of gender. The basic principle of Kohlberg’s theory is that a child's understanding of gender develops with age (due to maturation). As part of the theory, Kohlberg identified three stages in gender development: gender identity; gender stability; and gender constancy. Show
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\) No headersPiaget and Kohlberg studies the mental process children use to understand their observations and experiences. Children develop organizing categories called schemas. Sex is a very important schema for young children. Their interpretations of the world, of interactions, and of others are limited by their mental maturity. Early on children’s thinking tends to rely on simple (often visual) cues. Females and males look differently in Western culture. Think of how women and men often dress or are often represented in popular culture. What are some of the common characteristics of female/maleness on TV or in movies or children’s books? So children often rely on those “obvious” physical cues to differentiate between men and women. Cognitive factors in children's understanding of gender and gender stereotypes may contribute to their acquisition of gender roles. Kohlberg's three-stage cognitive developmental theory of gender typing suggests that children begin by categorizing themselves as male or females with reinforcement from outsiders such parents, and then feel rewarded by behaving in gender-consistent ways from external means. 30 According to Kohlberg, children acquire gender roles after she/he has gained an understanding and awareness that her/his sex is permanent, constant, and will never change. Children who are highly gender schematic often have parents or caregivers, especially fathers, who give them a lot of positive and negative reinforcement when it comes to gender-related activities. This teaches children gender-type behaviors as encourages them to pay more attention to gender as a social organizing category. Gender constancy emerges somewhere between 3-7 years of age.31 30 Martin, C. L., Ruble, D. N., & Szkrykablo, J. (2002). Cognitive theories of early gender development. American This page titled 3.3: Piaget's and Kohlberg's Cognitive Developmental Theory (Psychology) is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Katie Coleman via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request. Gender, as most would argue, is primarily a social construct that evolves with the society in which we live. What is deemed appropriate for one gender the corresponding gender tends to adopt, resulting in a variety of behaviours and stereotypes. If the environment a person grows up in labels a certain activity as a 'boy thing' or a 'girl thing', does that affect the development of their gender identity? Kohlberg's cognitive developmental theory of gender attempts to tackle the idea of gender development.
Kohlberg's Cognitive Development Theory of GenderKohlberg's cognitive development theory of gender focuses on how children develop cognitive structures to conceptualise and understand their gender and the gender of people around them. Cognitive structures are psychological constructs such as schema or mental models used to understand and process information. The stages of gender development, according to Kohlberg, are as follows. Kohlberg Theory: Gender LabellingThe labelling stage occurs between the ages of two and three and is when children begin to identify the gender expressions of themselves and the people around them. They can tell others their gender and recognise those of others from their outward appearances (e.g., someone with long hair is a girl). Additionally, their perception of gender is highly fluid at this stage; they don't see gender as a constant and believe it changes based on superficial properties such as hair length or clothing. A child in this stage could incorrectly identify a boy with long hair as a girl.  Kohlberg Theory: Gender StabilityThe stability stage occurs around age four when children begin to recognise how gender typically stays constant as they age. They understand how girls will grow into women, and boys will become men. However, their concept of gender still isn't consistent. They may believe a boy might turn into a girl if he does female activities. Kohlberg Theory: Gender ConsistencyThe consistency stage occurs between six and seven years of age. It is characterised by when gender becomes a more fixed concept for the child. They realise gender is consistent through time and different situations at this stage. For instance, they can understand external changes such as hair growth and clothing choices do not change people's gender identity. Strengths of Kohlberg's TheorySeveral researchers have conducted studies that support Kohlberg's theory of gender development. Let's take a look at what they found. 1. Thompson (1975) In this study, researchers tested a group of children aged two and three on their ability to identify their gender and the gender of others correctly. Thompson found that the older children could correctly identify genders more often than the younger children, suggesting that this skill develops between these two age groups. This finding supports the gender labelling stage Kohlberg describes in his theory. 2. Slaby and Frey (1975) In this study, researchers tested children aged two to five on their level of gender development. They found that children with higher levels of gender consistency were more likely to seek out same-sex role models. This study supports Kohlberg's stages as he also states older children will show higher gender stability and consistency. In this study, the researchers found children across multiple cultures showed signs of progressing through the stages Kohlberg described, which supports the theory. This research also suggests that Kohlberg's theory can be universal. Strengths of Kohlberg's Theory vs Piaget's TheoryKohlberg's stages of gender development line up with Piaget's stages of cognitive development, in particular the idea of conservation within the concrete operational stage, which ties in with gender consistency. Conservation is a child's cognitive ability to understand that even when a person's or object's appearances change, the basic properties do not change. Suppose you take two equal glasses of water and pour one into a taller, thinner glass and the other into a shorter but wider glass and ask the child which glass has more water. A child who has acquired the skill of conservation could understand that both glasses still hold an equal amount of water. In contrast, a child who has not developed conservation skills will think that the taller and thinner glass has more water. Concerning the child's gender development, their conservation skill allows them to understand that a person's gender does not change based on external properties, such as the activities they participate in or the way they dress. Kohlberg and Piaget found that this conservation skill became present around ages six to seven. Both researchers agree that children develop conservation at the same age, suggesting that Kohlberg's cognitive developmental theory of gender theory has high reliability. Kohlberg's Theory of Moral DevelopmentKohlberg had several other theories in addition to his gender development theory. Kohlberg's theory of moral development is another of his most important contributions. In this theory, Kohlberg attempted to understand the development of moral reasoning. Moral reasoning simply refers to the thinking and critical analysis that occurs when we decide what's right and wrong. Kohlberg agreed with Piaget in that, as children, our moral judgements are built on our cognitive development. Kohlberg established three distinct levels or stages of moral development, each of which must occur in an unvarying sequence. In other words, a person does not skip back and forth between the stages; each stage occurs one after another. Kohlberg established his three levels of moral development by presenting various scenarios to children, adolescents, and adults in what's now referred to as the 'Heinz Dilemma'. He then asked if they thought Heinz's actions regarding his sick wife were right or wrong. His analysis of their answers helped develop Kohlberg's theory. Kohlberg's Moral Understanding Stage TheoryLet's look at the three levels of Kohlberg's moral understanding stage theory.' Level (approx. age)DescriptionExamplePreconventional morality (0 to age 9)At this age, a child only obeys rules only to avoid punishment or to receive a reward. Self-interest is foundational to moral reasoning, e.g. it's right if it serves the person."If you help your classmates understand an assignment, your teacher will think you're a good student."Conventional morality (early adolescence)Children and teens at this age uphold the law to maintain social order. Gaining social approval also steers moral reasoning at this stage."You follow all traffic rules to keep the traffic flowing and avoid accidents."Postconventional morality (adolescence +)By this stage, moral development has advanced to more complex reasoning. Ethical principles such as individual rights direct a person's morality. Some adults may never progress through this stage."Lying is wrong because it will mean others cannot trust you."Criticisms of Kohlberg's Theory of Moral DevelopmentWhile it has significantly impacted the field of psychology, there are several criticisms of Kohlberg's theory of moral development, such as the fact that Kohlberg's sample, when forming his theory, was all male. Which theory best explains gender development?A primary perspective on gender development is provided by social learning theory. Consistent with mechanistic meta-theories, this theory argues that behavior is learned through observation, modeling, reinforcement, and punishment (Bandura, 1997).
What is the main idea behind the social cognitive theory of gender?The theory integrates psychological and sociostructural determinants within a unified conceptual structure. In this theoretical perspective, gender conceptions and roles are the product of a broad network of social influences operating interdependently in a variety of societal subsystems.
What is gender stability Kohlberg?This is the second stage in Kohlberg's cognitive explanation of gender development. It occurs at around 4 years old and continues until a child is approximately 7. In this stage, children recognise that gender is consistent over time, and that boys grow into men, and girls grow into women.
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