1. When do children develop their gender identity? Between 2 and 3 years of age

2. What is the difference between gender roles and a person’s sex? Sex is biological, gender roles are cultural

Gender Roles The expectations of parents, peers, and society of how we should think or behave because we are male or female

3. How do children acquire gender roles? Social Learning/Role Theory Argues that we learn gender roles in two major ways: Operant conditioning – we receive rewards or punishments for specific gender role behaviors Observational learning – we watch and imitate the same sex parent because these behaviors are rewarded

Social Learning/Role Theory Different toys, different discipline techniques, different types of encouragement 4. What is the major criticism of social role theory’s explanation? Critics argue that gender development is not acquired passively and that the child’s cognitive abilities play a role

5. Cognitive Developmental Theory Argues that a child’s thought processes are primarily responsible for gender role development Children identify with and imitate same-sex parents because they recognize that these individuals belong to the same category as they do Once they label themselves, they learn the male and female rules through active involvement with their environment They form gender schemas – sets of information and rules organized around how either a male or a female should think and behave

6. What is the major difference? How can they work together? Social role theory is based more on outside forces; cognitive developmental theory stresses internal forces based on gender rules Both internal and external factors are important

7. Differences in Aggression Nature: hormones, brain structures Nurture: encouragement from society

8. Cognitive ability differences Women score better on verbal and written tests Men score better on math, mental rotation of objects (spatial relationships), and mechanical reasoning

9. Biological explanation: Women use both sides of their brains to process language

10. Theorize both nature’s and nurture’s explanation for gender differences in math abilities. Nature: Brain structures and processing Nurture: Encouragement (or discouragement) in school and in families; different toys (blocks, Legos, etc.); social roles