A mental structure that organizes the person?s perceptual and conceptual world into gender categories (male-female, masculine-feminine). Gender schema theory holds that society produces gender identity and sex typing by teaching individuals to use the gender schema as a set of 'lenses' through which to view reality. See also gender identity, schema, sex typing.
A "schema" is an internalized pattern of responses. A gender schema is an internalized pattern of responses that differs by gender. For example, the pattern, "if someone hits me I hit back two time twice as hard" is characteristic of male gender role behavior.