GENDER DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSES TO TEXTS

Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate if boys and girls react differently to the same text. The conceptual theoretical construct used was the schema theory (Caroll, 1972). According to the schema concepts a reader brings to a text his own prior knowledge, cultural biases, preconceptions, viewpoints etc. The aim of the study was to examine and analyse if perceptual gender differences exist and to elicit if any, the salient differences of the interpretations of literary texts by male and female students. Two selected short stories namely “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and “The Hitchhiker” by Ronald Dahl were chosen as the stimulus.