Which statement best expresses cognitive developmental theories of gender socialization?

• A. Children actively construct their understanding of gender roles through interactions with their environment.
• B. Biological factors completely determine gender identity and socialization.
• C. Gender roles are learned solely through reinforcement and punishment from parents and teachers.
• D. Gender socialization is a passive process where children simply imitate adult behaviors.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that cognitive developmental theories focus on how children actively think about and understand gender, rather than passively receiving information.
2. Recognize that according to these theories, children construct their own understanding of gender roles through their interactions and experiences with the environment.
3. Contrast this with other perspectives, such as biological determinism, which claims gender identity is fixed by biology, or behaviorist views that emphasize reinforcement and punishment.
4. Note that cognitive developmental theories emphasize active learning and mental processes, rather than passive imitation or simple conditioning.
5. Therefore, the statement that best expresses cognitive developmental theories is that children actively construct their understanding of gender roles through interactions with their environment.