Final answer:
The cognitive-developmental theory describes the process by which individuals develop their gender identity through active thought and feeling processing. It shows that gender identity is a part of an individual's cognitive growth, influenced by society and culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
The idea that each individual develops gender identity by actively processing thoughts and feelings about gender is called cognitive-developmental theory. According to this theory, children actively construct their understanding of the world as they grow, including their conception of gender. Cognitive-developmental theory suggests that gender identity is a result of a person's cognitive development, which involves the internal processing of societal, cultural, and biological cues. While Dr. Money's research led to the theory of psychosexual neutrality, indicating we are neutral regarding our gender identity at birth until language and socialization play their roles, Carol Gilligan responded to Kohlberg's stages of moral development with the perspective that different genders may reason differently due to distinct focuses and values.