Gender Identity: Emergence in Preschoolers

The term “gender identity” was coined in the 1960s. It is one’s own perception of the self as being masculine, feminine, or androgynous (Figure 1).^{1, 2} Biological, psychological, and social factors influence gender development. ³ Preschoolers lack the cognitive maturity to understand the innate and permanent nature of gender. ⁴ Research suggests that even infants have the capacity to form primitive stereotypes. ⁵ However, their early associative networks about the sexes may not match the conceptual or affective associations that characterize those of older children or adults. ⁶

Kohlberg hypothesized that there are age-related changes in gender-related behavior. He laid emphasis on the development of gender constancy as a critical component underlying the expression of sex-typed behaviors. ⁷ It typically develops at the preschool age. Despite the controversies surrounding his ideas, ⁸ they continue to influence how developmental researchers think about the relationship between gender identity and sex-typing. ⁶

Although preschoolers are at a lower level of understanding about gender, they still display gender-typed behaviors. These behaviors have been hypothesized as learnt behaviors acquired by modeling and reinforcement. ² Development of gender constancy occurs in stages over a period of time during early times of a child’s development. The stages through which gender constancy develops have been illustrated in Figure 2. They are gender labeling, gender stability, and gender consistency. ⁷ Children can label their own and others’ sex correctly by early preschool years. While slightly older preschoolers have a partial understanding of the permanence of sex, late preschoolers and older children understand the biological permanence of sex and that it remains the same even if one crossdresses.^{7, 10}

Bem theorized that individuals were motivated to adhere to internalized cultural standards of gender. ¹¹ Similar to Kohlberg’s theory, Bem’s theory also presumes that gender identity and sex-typing are inherently linked. While Kohlberg focused on the relationship between gender identity and sex-typing in childhood, Bem’s primary focus was on the implications of sex-typing for adjustment in adulthood. ¹¹

Figure 1.

Gender Identity

Figure 2.

Stages of Development of Gender Constancy