Cognition and gender identity in early childhood: an integrative systematic review

Abstract

Early childhood is a fundamental period for the later development of human beings. This period includes the development of  gender identity, which is a complex and multi-determined process by biological, psychological, and social factors. Several approaches and theories have described the development of gender identity based on the cognition processes involved with this identification. The objective of this study is to characterize the cognitive processes involved in the development of gender identity in early childhood, between 0 and 6 years of age. A systematic review of the relevant literature, in English and Spanish, was carried out during the period 2010-2021. The Scopus and Web of Science databases were consulted. In parallel, gray literature was reviewed
and references of selected works were checked. Thirty studies were selected from the systematic search. The results show an evolutionary trajectory of identification processes, stereotypes, gender constancy, schemes, and other gender-related cognitions. Biological antecedents and social influences that have an impact on gender identity at the cognitive level are reviewed and analyzed
in relation to cognitive theories. Overall, it is shown that gender identity is a multidimensional concept and that its development depends on the interaction between prenatal and social influences and gender cognitions. Integrative models of gender identity development are presented and differences between these models and those with tendencies towards reductionism are discussed.
Findings highlight the need to incorporate more comprehensive definitions of gender in the scientific literature.