SLT as An Explanation Of Gender Development

Question 1

Outline what SLT suggests about gender development

Answer 1

• Bandura suggested gender development is a result of observation and imitation of a role model
• SLT suggests that during observation and imitation the cognitive meditational processes would occur which are attention, retention, reproduction and motivation
• SLT suggests both males and females will have differential reinforcement for the behaviours they display which will influence the behaviours they adopt for their gender roles. For example boys will receive praise for displaying masculine behaviour such as being aggressive but girls would be punished for the same behaviour
• Bandura also suggested children will learn their gender appropriate behaviours from direct tuition, this begins when they start to develop linguistic skills. For example a girl will be told she should play with a doll instead of a ball.
• once children have internalised their appropriate gender behaviours they take a more active role on developing their behaviours and learning

Question 2

AO3 Social learning explanation of gender development

Answer 2

• Kohlbergs compare and contrast
• Slabby and Frey
• David Reimer

Question 3

Describe the cognitive mediational processes

Answer 3

• Attention: The children must pay attention to their same sex role model to adopt their behaviours
• Retention: The behaviours of the same sex role model will be stored and retained the information
• Reproduction: children will more likely reproduce the behaviours of their same sex role models
• motivation: vicarious reinforcement will motivate the child to produce certain behaviours and actions of their same sex role models