This article outlines a model of the structure and the dynamics of gender cognition in childhood. The model incorporates 3 hypotheses featured in different contemporary theories of childhood gender cognition and unites them under a single theoretical framework. Adapted from Greenwald et al. (2002), the model distinguishes three constructs: gender identity, gender stereotypes, and attribute self-perceptions. The model specifies 3 causal processes among the constructs: Gender identity and stereotypes interactively influence attribute self-perceptions (stereotype emulation hypothesis); gender identity and attribute self-perceptions interactively influence gender stereotypes (stereotype construction hypothesis); and gender stereotypes and attribute self-perceptions interactively influence identity (identity construction hypothesis). The model resolves nagging ambiguities in terminology, organizes diverse hypotheses and empirical findings under a unifying conceptual umbrella, and stimulates many new research directions.
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