Question 1

When Jeremy was six years old, he identified with his father in order to resolve the anxiety he felt for his earlier attraction to his mother. This explanation of Jeremy's gender development is consistent with the _________ theory of gender.

Accepted Answer

This explanation aligns with the psychoanalytic theory of gender, specifically Freud's Oedipus complex, where a child identifies with the same-sex parent to resolve sexual attraction to the opposite-sex parent.

Question 2

Which of the following is/are TRUE concerning the research by critics of Freud's theory of gender?

Accepted Answer

Research critiquing Freud's theory of gender has found that gender development often does not align with Freud's stages, children exhibit gender-typed behaviors before the ages Freud suggested, and the presence of a same-sex parent is not necessary for a child to develop gender-typical behaviors.

Question 3

According to the _________ theory, children's gender development occurs through observation and imitation, and through rewards and punishments for gender-appropriate and gender-inappropriate behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The social cognitive theory posits that children learn about gender roles and develop their gender identity through observation, imitation, and the rewards and punishments they receive for gender-appropriate and gender-inappropriate behavior. This process involves seeing how gender is expressed in their environment and then emulating those behaviors, which are either reinforced or discouraged by those around them.

Question 4

The social cognitive theory emphasizes that gender is:

Accepted Answer

The social cognitive theory posits that individuals learn and develop gender roles through observation and modeling of others' behaviors, attitudes, and the outcomes of those behaviors.

Question 5

According to the social cognitive theory, other people are important in the development of gender roles because:

Accepted Answer

Social cognitive theory emphasizes the role of observational learning, imitation, and modeling, where individuals learn and develop gender roles by observing and receiving feedback from others in their social environment.

Question 6

Gina's mother buys her young daughter frilly dresses and dolls and encourages her to act "like a lady." Gina's subsequent feminine behaviors could best be explained by the_______ theory of gender.

Accepted Answer

The social cognitive theory explains how observing behaviors, attitudes, and the outcomes of those behaviors within a social context, including gender behaviors, influences an individual's own behavior. In this case, Gina learns to behave in a feminine manner by observing the expectations and reinforcements from her mother regarding what is considered appropriate for her gender.

Question 7

Four-year-old Cole liked to play dolls with his older sister. However, when he went to preschool, the other little boys teased him when he played with the girls, and his teacher encouraged him to play outside with the boys. Cole soon was seen with the other boys in their "rough-and-tumble"play. This change in Cole's behavior can best be explained by the ______ theory of gender.

Accepted Answer

The social cognitive theory explains how Cole's behavior changed due to the social influences around him, including the teasing from peers and the encouragement from his teacher, which shaped his understanding of gender-appropriate behaviors.

Question 8

The playground is sometimes referred to as a "gender school"because as children spend a larger majority of their free play time exclusively with others of their own sex; the activity and aggression levels of boys increase and those of girls decrease. This phenomenon is best explained by the __________ theory of gender.

Accepted Answer

The social cognitive theory explains this phenomenon by suggesting that children learn and adopt gender-specific behaviors through observation, imitation, and reinforcement from their environment, including the behaviors they see and experience in gender-segregated playgroups on the playground.

Question 9

Which of the following theories would be considered a cognitive theory of gender development?

Accepted Answer

Gender schema theory is a cognitive theory that explains gender development as a process of internalizing society's gender norms and stereotypes into a framework used to process information about oneself and others. It focuses on how individuals use cognitive schemas to organize and guide their understanding of gender.

Question 10

According to the ______ theory of gender, children's gender typing occurs only after children consistently think of themselves as boys and girls. They then show a preference for activities, objects, and attitudes consistent with this label.

Accepted Answer

The cognitive developmental theory, proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg, suggests that children actively construct gender knowledge in their minds. According to this theory, children's gender typing occurs after they have achieved gender constancy, which is the understanding that their gender is fixed and based on biological factors. Once they consistently identify themselves as either boys or girls, they start to prefer activities, objects, and attitudes that are consistent with their gender identity.

Question 11

The cognitive developmental theory of gender was initially proposed by:

Accepted Answer

Lawrence Kohlberg initially proposed the cognitive developmental theory of gender, which suggests that children's understanding of gender evolves as they grow, and they actively construct gender knowledge through their experiences.

Question 12

According to the cognitive developmental theory, children organize their world on the basis of gender only after they have:

Accepted Answer

According to cognitive developmental theory, particularly as proposed by Lawrence Kohlberg, children organize their world on the basis of gender after they have developed gender constancy. Gender constancy is the understanding that one's gender remains the same across time and situations, and it typically develops around the age of 6 or 7. This understanding allows children to consistently categorize themselves and others by gender, influencing their interests, activities, and social interactions.

Question 13

Gender constancy occurs when a child can:

Accepted Answer

Gender constancy is the understanding that one's gender remains the same despite changes in appearance or behavior. This concept is part of gender development in children, indicating they understand that gender is a stable trait.

Question 14

According to the cognitive developmental theory of gender, how do preschool children decide who is male and who is female?

Accepted Answer

Preschool children often rely on physical features such as dress and hairstyle to determine gender, as they are still developing their understanding of gender roles and identities.

Question 15

Amy is 4 years old and has gone to the hairdresser with her mother. While there, she sees a young man get his long hair cut off. According to the cognitive developmental theory, Amy is most likely to:

Accepted Answer

Young children, according to cognitive developmental theory, often rely on superficial characteristics like hair length to determine gender, so Amy might think the man's gender has changed.

Question 16

Which child is beginning to understand gender constancy?

Accepted Answer

Gender constancy typically develops around the age of 6-7, when children understand that gender is stable over time and situations. Lee, being six years old, is at the age where this understanding begins to form.

Question 17

The _________ theory of gender states that gender typing occurs when children are ready to encode and organize information along the lines of what is considered appropriate for females and males in their society.

Accepted Answer

The gender schema theory suggests that children learn about gender roles and cultural expectations primarily through organizing and encoding information according to the gender norms of their society. This process helps them understand and adhere to what is considered appropriate for their gender.

Question 18

A___________ is a cognitive structure, a network of associations, which organizes the world in terms of female and male and guides a person's perceptions, thinking, and behavior.

Accepted Answer

A gender schema is a cognitive framework that organizes information relevant to gender. It helps individuals process and categorize information according to gender-based categories, influencing perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors related to gender.

Question 19

Bit by bit, Martin has picked up what is gender appropriate and gender inappropriate in his culture. He has gradually organized this information into a view of what is male and female and he uses this organized view of the world to guide his thinking and behavior. Martin's gender development is consistent with the ________ theory of gender.

Accepted Answer

Martin's process of picking up information on what is considered gender appropriate or inappropriate and organizing this information into a structured view to guide his thinking and behavior aligns with the gender schema theory. This theory suggests that individuals internalize cultural definitions of gender and organize this information into schemas, which then influence how they perceive the world and themselves in terms of gender.

Question 20

According to the gender schema theory of gender, gender typing occurs when children:

Accepted Answer

Gender schema theory suggests that children learn about gender roles and develop gender-typed behaviors by encoding, organizing, and using information about what is considered appropriate for their gender in their culture. This process involves internalizing societal norms and expectations about gender.

Quiz 12: Gender