INFANCY, CHILDHOOD, AND ADOLESCENCE

Children’s Knowledge and Beliefs about Gender

Distinguishing between females and males From birth, infants are surrounded by cues

signifying gender Infants and toddlers are able to distinguish

males and females

Gender identity and self-perceptions By age 2 or 3, children can label their own

gender Children begin to view their own gender more

favorably than the other gender

Gender-Related Activities and Interests

Physical performance and sports Girls and boys similar in motor skills in preschool

and elementary years Gender differences in motor skills favoring boys

increasingly pronounced from childhood through adolescence

Toys and play Gender typed play appears to be set by 3 years old. Girls are more likely to engage in gender neutral or

cross gender toys and activities.

Gender segregation Also appears by age 3

Violations of Gender Role Norms and Adjustment

Social adjustment.

May depend on developmental stage (Lurye, Zosuls, & Ruble, 2008).

The intersection w/ class and ethnicity (Ruble, 2006).

Gender Identity Disorder in Children and Adolescents Definition.

Prevalence. Kids. Adults.

Causes? Biological: Environmental:

Relation to Adult Identity. Green (1987).

Influences on Gender Development: Early and Late Maturation in GirlsEarly maturing girls

May have feelings of self-consciousness and shameConfronted with challenging sexual expectationsAssociate with older peersAs well adjusted as other girls by the end of high school

(Brody, 1999b)http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/

38752735#38752735

Late maturing girlsMay have low social status during middle schoolOften dissatisfied with appearanceMay end up more popular and more satisfied with

appearance than earlymaturing girls (Simmons & Blyth, 1987)

Psychosocial Development in Adolescence

Self-Esteem: sense of worth or value that people attach to themselves High self-esteem associated with good psychological

and physical health (e.g., Baumeister et al., 2003)

Self-esteem diminishes for both genders in early adolescence Girls’ show lower self-esteem than boys (e.g., Cambron et al.,

2008) Girls more dissatisfied with appearance than boys School may undermine girls’ perception of their competence Girls become more acutely aware of sexism during adolescence

(Gilligan, 1993, 2002) “Loss of voice”

African American girls in late adolescence demonstrate higher

self-esteem than Caucasian, Latina, and Asian American teen girls.

Psychosocial Development in Adolescence

Gender intensification: increasing divergence in gender-related behaviors and attitudes of girls and boys that emerges in adolescence Physical changes of puberty accentuate gender

differences in appearance

Adults apply increasing pressure on girls to be “feminine” (e.g, Carr, 2007)

Dating encourages increase in gender-stereotypical behavior

Gender intensification starts to decrease by middle to late adolescence