Your friend has noticed that her daughter seems to pay more attention to what other girls, not boys, do while her son focuses on what other boys, not girls, do. She is surprised because she doesn't see why they both don't pay equal attention to boys and girls. You tell her that her children's behaviour is best explained by ________ theory.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gender-schema theory proposes that children learn about gender through their culture and social interactions, and they develop schemas, or mental frameworks, for understanding gender. These schemas influence what children pay attention to and remember about gender-related information. Thus, it explains why the daughter pays more attention to girls and the son pays more attention to boys. Biological theory cannot explain this difference, and Kohlberg's theory of gender identity primarily focuses on the development of gender constancy, rather than attention to gender-related information. Social learning theory could explain some aspects of gender development, but it does not offer a specific explanation for this gender-based attention difference.

Your Friend Has Noticed That Her Daughter Seems to Pay