Stereotypical behavior is not a new trend, but rather a constant way of life in today's society. Gender stereotypes, a subcategory of stereotypes, open up many revelations, developments and behaviors. Although there are psychologists who differ in opinions, education and occupation appear to be the primary sources in which most people are believed to obtain and act upon their stereotypical behavior (Sax & Harper 671). The origins of gender differences are particularly difficult to trace. , but the argument that differences are the result of socialization is widely studied in psychology. One group of psychologists believes that children get most of their “stereotypical ways” from behavior they imitate through visual references, such as a same-sex parent (Sax & Harper 671). Parents, especially when the child is in the pre-school years, play an important role in how the child behaves at that time. However, other psychologists would differ and state that children's peers are the primary source of gender socialization and that the parent plays a minimal role, and sometimes no role at all (671). Once the child reaches the age where he attends school every day, he usually sees his teacher or classmates more often than he does his parents. This places parents with less control over their children 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 gender stereotypes. It is said that women usually lean towards social sciences, health services, and education, while men, on the other hand, are more likely to go into engineering and business (Sax & Harper 672). The interesting concept is that “women usually earn ratings equal to those of men… in the middle of the paper… framed in the ways of average human behavior. Every human being has their own character. Whether or not they are considered this way is not really up to them, but rather to those who perceive them. Works Cited Athey, Timothy R., and Jacob E. Hautaluoma. “Effects of Applicant Overeducation, Work Status, and Work Gender Stereotypes on Employment Decisions.” Journal of Social Psychology134.4 (1994): 439-452. SPORTDiscus with full text. Network. November 15, 2011.Sax, Linda and Casandra Harper. “Origins of the gender gap: Pre-college and college influences on differences between men and women.” Higher Education Research48.6 (2007): 669-694. Academic research completed. Network. November 20, 2011. WILLIAMS, JULIET A. “Learning Differences: Sex Role Stereotypes in Single-Sex Public Education.” Harvard Journal of Law & Gender 33.2 (2010): 555-579. Academic research completed. Network. November 20. 2011.