Chapter 14: Behavioural/Social Learning Approach: Relevant Research Flashcards
What are the reasons for gender roles
biological differences and lifelong process of gender-role socialization
How are gender roles acquired and maintained?
observational learning and operant conditioning
traditional approach to gender
continuum of agency (masculinity) to communion (femininity)
androgyny model
masculinity and feminity are independent traits with the most balance people being both masculineand feminine
masculinity model
if males go out of the confines of the typical male persona, they will lose mental health
congruence model
masculine men and feminine women are most well-adjusted
Who are the preferable partners in interpersonal relationships?
feminine and androgynous people
Why are androgynous people preferable partners?
more aware of and able to express romantic feelings
Which gender communicates the worst?
male
Bandura’s Four Step Model
- attending to an aggressive action
- remembering information
- enacting what is seen
- expecting that rewards will be forth coming
Relationship between viewing aggression and aggressive behaviour?
Viewing aggressive actions/events increases likelihood of acting aggressively
(ie. video games)
locus of control
how people explain the reasoning behind what happens to them
Traits associated with agency
independence, assertiveness, control
-> masculinity
communion
attachment, cooperation, interpersonal connection
-> femininity
What assumption does the androgyny model challenge?
a person’s gender should match his/her gender type
How do children learn aggression?
imitating aggressive models aka. rehearsing aggression
Learned helplessness
people learn the feeling of helplessness in an initial untrollable setting and can’t break out of the association in subsequent situations
external locus of control
people believe that what happens to them and others is outside of their control
internal locus of control
people can affect what happens to them
Which locus of control recieves better grades in school?
internal locus of control
How do those with internal locus of control think of school/academics?
they themselves are responsible for achievements
tend to attribute high test scores to own abilities or studying hard
How do behaviourists explain gender roles
lifelong process of gender-role socialization
high masculinity, high femininity
androgynous
high masculinity, low femininity
masculine
high femininity, low masculinity
feminine
low masculinity, low femininity
undifferentiated
MMPI on gender scale
scoring too far on the wrong side of the Masculinity-Femininity Scale was indicative of psychological disturbances
Effects of the pressure to act masculine:
Stress
Poor health
An ever-present fear of being ridiculed or failing to meet a “macho” standard
A need to reassert one’s masculinity
Risk-taking
Aggression
Working excessively long hours
Failing to seek help for medical problems
Poor academic performance
Effects of the Pressure to Act Feminine
Pressure to be the perfect, traditional mother and sometimes sacrifice career opportunities to do so
Lowered sense of well-being and self-esteem
Being overly concerned about one’s appearance
Psychological disorders (ex. Eating disorders)
What is the long-term solution to pressure to act in a gender-appropriate manner?
removing the pressure
what is the short-term solution to the pressure to act in a gender-appropriate manner?
parents and friends should become more aware of the subtle ways that they reward and punish behaviour they consider gender-appropriate or inappropriate
what do unmitigated communion and agency involve?
taking the traits of agency and communion to the extreme
being low on the other dimension
unmitigated communion
- involves becoming so concerned with taking care of others that they sacrifice their needs and interests
- difficulty in assertion
- linked to high depression levels
unmitigated agency
being insensitive toward the needs of others, narcissistic, and self-focused
high levels of unmitigated agency
- strained social interactions
- few close friends
- do not fare well physically/psychologically when facing medical problems
how does Rotter’s theory of generalized expectancies explain health-related behaviours with locus of control?
if you feel health is a matter of luck, external locus
if you feel you can control your health through diet/exercise, internal locus of control
What actions hold out attention best?
intense actions
Are people with psychological disorders more likely to have an internal or external locus of control?
external
Give an example of how locus of control is related to depression:
study of suicidal patients found that many described themselves in more external terms as they became increasingly suicidal
What is the most widely researched aspect of Rotter’s social learning theory
notion of individual differences in generalized expectancies/locus of control
