Child Development
PYC4805
Student Number: 61117145
Unique Number: 693556
Due Date: 19 July 2021
0|Page
,PLAGIARISM DECLARATION
1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is using another’s work and pretending
that it is one’s own work
2. I have used the American Psychological Association (APA) as the convention for
citation and referencing. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this
assignment from work, or works of other people has been attributed and has been cited
and referenced
3. This assignment is my own work
4. I have not allowed, and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as his or her own work
5. I acknowledge that copying someone else's assignment or part thereof is wrong, and
declare that this assignment is my own work.
SIGNED BY: Student DATE: 19 July 2021
1|Page
,Table of Contents
The Roles of Biological Features (nature) and socialised stereotyping (nurture) in Development of
Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescence. .......................................................................................... 3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Theories of gender identity developemnt. ................................................................................................... 3
Gender Schema Theory................................................................................................................................. 3
The Roles of Nurture in The Development of Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescents. ................... 4
The Roles of Nature in The Development of Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescents. .................... 5
Consequences of gender identity ................................................................................................................. 6
Conclusion. .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Reference ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
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, The Roles of Biological Features (nature) and socialised stereotyping (nurture) in
Development of Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescence.
INTRODUCTION
The debate of nature versus nurture in gender development has been discussed and
debated over a period of years.
This is an argumentative essay that will based on the debate of nature versus nurture in
the development of gender identity in childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, this
essay will provide literature from previous research done on the debate, providing
statistical and factual evidence.
Before we proceed with the argument, one might ask, how is gender identity
developed? Before we answer the question, one needs to understand the important
themes that will be mentioned in the essay.
Gender identity can be broken down into two part, Firstly, gender can be defined as “the
behaviour associated with being male or female” (p. 251). Furthermore, gender identity
can be defined as “the individual’s sense of being male or female. It is the behaviour
that goes along with being male or female that is influenced by cultural expectations as
biology” (Ciccarelli & White, 2013, p. 251).
Thesis statement: Socialised stereotyping (nurture) plays a bigger role in gender
development because children are often searching for ways to make better sense of
their social surroundings by using gender cues learnt from the society
THEORIES OF GENDER IDENTITY DEVELOPEMNT.
Gender Schema Theory
This theory is based on the fact that once a child is aware of their gender, they will then
act accordingly, and this will be done by watching and modeling their own sex (Belsky,
2018).
The gender schema theory seems to be true, because researchers have done research
using habituation and preferential paradigms, where it was found that children between
3 to 7 months of age are able to see the difference between male and female. The
gender schema theory also shows to be valid by recent reviews made, where it
3|Page
PYC4805
Student Number: 61117145
Unique Number: 693556
Due Date: 19 July 2021
0|Page
,PLAGIARISM DECLARATION
1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is using another’s work and pretending
that it is one’s own work
2. I have used the American Psychological Association (APA) as the convention for
citation and referencing. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this
assignment from work, or works of other people has been attributed and has been cited
and referenced
3. This assignment is my own work
4. I have not allowed, and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of
passing it off as his or her own work
5. I acknowledge that copying someone else's assignment or part thereof is wrong, and
declare that this assignment is my own work.
SIGNED BY: Student DATE: 19 July 2021
1|Page
,Table of Contents
The Roles of Biological Features (nature) and socialised stereotyping (nurture) in Development of
Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescence. .......................................................................................... 3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Theories of gender identity developemnt. ................................................................................................... 3
Gender Schema Theory................................................................................................................................. 3
The Roles of Nurture in The Development of Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescents. ................... 4
The Roles of Nature in The Development of Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescents. .................... 5
Consequences of gender identity ................................................................................................................. 6
Conclusion. .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Reference ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
2|Page
, The Roles of Biological Features (nature) and socialised stereotyping (nurture) in
Development of Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescence.
INTRODUCTION
The debate of nature versus nurture in gender development has been discussed and
debated over a period of years.
This is an argumentative essay that will based on the debate of nature versus nurture in
the development of gender identity in childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, this
essay will provide literature from previous research done on the debate, providing
statistical and factual evidence.
Before we proceed with the argument, one might ask, how is gender identity
developed? Before we answer the question, one needs to understand the important
themes that will be mentioned in the essay.
Gender identity can be broken down into two part, Firstly, gender can be defined as “the
behaviour associated with being male or female” (p. 251). Furthermore, gender identity
can be defined as “the individual’s sense of being male or female. It is the behaviour
that goes along with being male or female that is influenced by cultural expectations as
biology” (Ciccarelli & White, 2013, p. 251).
Thesis statement: Socialised stereotyping (nurture) plays a bigger role in gender
development because children are often searching for ways to make better sense of
their social surroundings by using gender cues learnt from the society
THEORIES OF GENDER IDENTITY DEVELOPEMNT.
Gender Schema Theory
This theory is based on the fact that once a child is aware of their gender, they will then
act accordingly, and this will be done by watching and modeling their own sex (Belsky,
2018).
The gender schema theory seems to be true, because researchers have done research
using habituation and preferential paradigms, where it was found that children between
3 to 7 months of age are able to see the difference between male and female. The
gender schema theory also shows to be valid by recent reviews made, where it
3|Page
