SLT Flashcards
What does SLT acknowledge?
SLT acknowledges the role that the social context plays in development and states that all behaviour (including gender) is learned by observing and imitating others
This approach draws attention to the influence of the environment (nurture)
At birth, girls and boys are psychologically the same
Gender differences are learned through the differences in the ways boys and girls are treated.
What are the main principles of SLT?
Social learning theory proposes that we learn through observation (watching and internalising the consequences of other people’s actions).
Children look to ‘models’ for guidance as to how they should act and then imitate the behaviour observed.
It also suggests that gender related behaviour is learnt when we receive vicarious reinforcement for the behaviour
What does SLT say?
All behaviour, including gender, is learned from observing others. Draws attention to the influence of the environment (nurture) in shaping gender development. This includes the people the child interacts (parents,peers,teachers) with as well as culture and the media.
What is reinforcement?
anything that strengthens behaviour because it is rewarding to the learner
What 4 factors does SLT look at when explaining gender development?
Direct reinforcement
Indirect (vicarious) reinforcement
Identification and modelling
Mediational processes
Explain direct reinforcement and gender development
Children are more likely to be reinforced (through praise and encouragement) for displaying gender appropriate behaviours. They are unlikely to continue to reproduce a behaviour that has been punished (direct). The difference in reinforcement between genders is called differential reinforcement.
Differential reinforcement
through this process children learn their gender and what is acceptable for them to do. Children are more likely to imitate behaviours which
Give an example of direct reinforcement and gender development
- boys are reinforced for being more active and showing rough play
- girls are reinforced for being more passive and staying closer to their parents
Explain indirect (vicarious) reinforcement and gender development
Children see how their role models act and learn from the consequences of these actions. They are also unlikely to reproduce a behaviour where the role-model has a negative experience (vicarious); There also needs to be the belief that the person is capable of imitating the behaviour (self-efficacy) and that they identify with the role model.
Give an example of vicarious reinforcement in gender development
- If a young girl sees their mother dressing in a feminine way, wearing makeup and being complimented for this, she learns that this is how women should behave to receive rewards.
- If a little boy sees another boy teased for displaying feminine behaviours, the behaviour is less likely to be copied. [if punished behaviours are less likely to be imitated]
What is identification?
When a child looks up to a role model, as that person has rewarding qualities.
Identification refers to the process whereby a child attaches himself or herself to a person who is seen to be ‘like me’ or because a person is like someone ‘I want to be’
Who are children likely to imitate / identify with?
Not all behaviour is imitated. There needs to be some quality or characteristic in the role model that a person wants to imitate. Individuals tend to identify with same-sex role models (Bussey & Bandura, 1984).
What is modelling?
A precise demonstration of a behaviour shown by the role model
Give an example of modelling
A mother may stereotypically model feminine behaviour when tidying up the house or preparing the dinner
The same term is also used to explain learning from the observers’ perspective – when a little girl copies her mother setting the table, or attempts to ‘feed’ her dolly, she is modelling the behaviour she has witnessed.
What is essential for modelling?
Self-efficacy: the person doing the imitating needs to believe that they are capable of reproducing the behaviour
