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Which theoretical perspective regarding gender-role development is reflected in the statement 'I am a boy. Therefore I want to do the things boys do.'?

1) Social learning theory
2) Cognitive development theory
3) Biological theory
4) Psychoanalytic theory

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Option 2 is answer. The theoretical perspective reflected in the statement is the Cognitive Development Theory, which relates to how children understand and align their behaviors with gender roles.

Step-by-step explanation:

The theoretical perspective regarding gender-role development that is reflected in the statement 'I am a boy. Therefore I want to do the things boys do.' is the Cognitive Development Theory. This perspective emphasizes how children think and understand their gender roles as they grow. Identified by Jean Piaget, the theory suggests that children actively construct knowledge as they explore and manipulate the world around them. Here, the child identifies as a boy and wants to engage in activities that he perceives as correlating with his gender identity.

The statement illustrates that the child is socialized to align his behaviors with societal expectations based on his gender, which is a concept present in the Social Learning Theory. However, the specific acknowledgment of one's gender and the desire to act in ways consistent with that gender is more closely associated with cognitive processes described by Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory, where the child starts to assert his gender identity consciously.

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