Evaluation of learning theory explanation of gender

Question 1

supporting evidence?

Answer 1

• Cramer and Skidd
• Langlois and Downs
• Sroufe et al

Question 2

What happened in Cramer and Skidd?

Answer 2

• found that pre-school aged boys and girls made references to stereotypes of gender appropriate behaviour suggesting children are encouraged to act in a masculine or feminine way from a very young age
• seen in the way we talk to young children, decorate their rooms and dress them

Question 3

What happened in Langlois and Downs?

Answer 3

showed that fathers were likely to disapprove of sons playing with girls toys and more likely to be punished

Question 4

What happened in Sroufe et al

Answer 4

Found that children who did not conform to gender stereotypes were less popular with their peers

Question 5

Cross cultural studies support?

Answer 5

yes

Question 6

Main weakness regarding nature?

Answer 6

ignores any biological differences such as hormones and brain differences and evidence does support that these do play a large part in development of gender

Question 7

Refuting evidence?

Answer 7

-Lytton and Romney

Question 8

What happened in Lytton and Romney?

Answer 8

while parents did reinforce sex-typed behaviour in their children they also found there were many similarities in the way boys and girls were socialised and concluded the differences were not just down to reinforcement