title: The role of gender constancy in early gender development.
abstract: Kohlberg's (1966) hypothesis that the attainment of gender constancy motivates children to attend to gender norms was reevaluated by examining these links in relation to age. Ninety-four 3- to 7-year-old children were interviewed to assess whether and how constancy mediates age-related changes in gender-related beliefs. As expected, results indicated a general pattern of an increase in stereotype knowledge, the importance and positive evaluation of one's own gender category, and rigidity of beliefs between the ages of 3 and 5. Moreover, the stability phase, rather than full constancy, mediated some of these relations. After age 5, rigidity generally decreased with age, with relations primarily mediated by consistency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. diane.ruble@nyu.edu
authors.forename: Diane N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Ruble
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cyphers
authors.forename: Faith K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Greulich
authors.forename: Leah E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Lurye
authors.forename: Patrick E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Shrout
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001288:Attention; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012925:Social Conformity; D012951:Socialization; D013240:Stereotyping