Gender-related Development

Abstract

This article addresses how children develop gender-related knowledge, preferences, behaviors, and roles. In the first section, the multidimensional nature of gender is described. In this part, the many different constructs involved in understanding gender-related development are described, including gender identity, gender roles, gender stereotypes, and gender-related behaviors. The second section includes a description of age trends in the development of gender identity, gender-related social behavior and cognitive skills, and gender stereotypes. Gender identity is the sense of oneself as a male or female and this sense of self develops in a series of stages. Gender stereotypes are culturally defined expectations about the sexes, which begin developing early in life and become more extensive as children grow older. Gender-related behaviors and characteristics have been the subject of numerous studies and the developmental patterns vary by characteristic. In the third section, the major theories of gender development are outlined, including biological approaches, socialization theories, and cognitive and schema theories. In the fourth section, future directions for research are discussed.