Gender Cognitive Development

Children learn gender-type behaviors as it is encouraged to them by their parents, relatives, friends, teachers, society. (Social Learning Theory) This constancy emerges somewhere between the ages of 3-7. This means that children's perception, discernment, awareness, learning, understanding, comprehension etc. of gender and gender stereotypes can and most likely will contribute to their attainment of their personal gender role. The picture you see is an example, of a parent (me) purchasing, and showing her child what her gender role is as I purchase these toys, for her to play with. I do my best to have her pick and choose her toys and I personally have gotten her masculine toys as well and I've watched and have observed what she gravitates towards. She does like the typical stereotypical toys of being a female. According to the developmental theory of gender typing suggest that children categorize themselves as male or females with reinforcement from outsiders, and parents, and feel rewarded by behaving in gender-consistent ways from external means. According to Kohlberg, children acquire gender roles after she/he when they begin to attain understanding that there sex is permanent and will never change.