Stereotyped behavior is not a new trend, but rather a permanent way of life in today's society. Gender stereotypes, a subcategory of stereotypes, open up numerous revelations, developments and behaviors. Although psychologists' opinions differ, education and employment appear to be the primary sources by which most people acquire and practice their stereotypical behavior (Sax & Harper 671). The origins of gender differences are particularly difficult to trace. , but arguments that differences result from socialization are widely studied in psychology. One group of psychologists believe that children derive most of their "stereotypical mannerisms" from the behavior they imitate from visual references, such as a same-sex parent (Sax & Harper 671). Parents, especially when the child is in the years before school, play an important role in how the child behaves at that time. However, other psychologists would take a different view and argue that children's peers are the primary source of gender socialization and that the parent plays little to no role (671). Once that child reaches the age where they attend school daily, they typically see the teacher or their peers more often than their own parents. This gives parents less control over their child and more control in the hands of others, such as the child's teachers. Education itself is one of the most important factors when it comes to stereotypes, especially when it comes to gender. It is said that women typically gravitate toward social sciences, health services, and education, while men, on the other hand, are more likely to gravitate toward engineering and business (Sax & Harper 672). The interesting concept is that "women generally earn grades equal to men... middle of paper ... mirroring average human behavior." Each human is his own character. Whether or not they are viewed this way is not really up to them, but rather up to the perceiver. Works Cited Athey, Timothy R. and Jacob E. Hautaluoma. “Effects of applicant overeducation, occupational status, and gender stereotypes on employment decisions.” Journal of Social Psychology134.4 (1994): 439-452. SPORTDiscus with full text. Internet. November 15, 2011. Sax, Linda and Casandra Harper. “Origins of the gender gap: Pre-college and university influences on differences between men and women.” Higher Education Research48.6 (2007): 669-694. Academic research completed. Internet. November 20, 2011. WILLIAMS, JULIET A. “Learning Differences: Gender Stereotyping in Single-Sex Public Education.” Harvard Journal of Law and Gender 33.2 (2010): 555-579. Academic research completed. Internet. November 20. 2011.