Social learning explanation of gender development

Question 1

what does the SLT explanation say about gender development?

Answer 1

That social context pays a role in development and states that all behaviour is learned from observing others.

Question 2

What is direct reinforcement, and how does this link to children showing gender-appropriate behaviour?

Answer 2

• Being praised or punished directly for a behaviour.
• Children are more likely to be praised for gender-appropriate behaviour.

Question 3

What is differential reinforcement and how does this link to a child learning about their gender identity?

Answer 3

• The way that boys ands girls are encouraged to show gender-appropriate behaviour.
• This is how children learn of their gender identity.

Question 4

How does vicarious reinforcement link to children showing certain behaviours?

Answer 4

Children are more likely to imitate another person’s behaviour if it is favourable or praised.

Question 5

Explain the concept of identification in relation to role models.

Answer 5

A child will attach themself to a person who is seen to be ‘like them’, and that they possess qualities that the child sees as desirable. These people are seen as role models.

Question 6

What is modelling?

Answer 6

The precise demonstration of a behaviour that may be imitated by an observer.

Question 7

What are the 4 mediational processes?

Answer 7

Attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation.

Question 8

One strength of the SLT approach is that key principles are supported by evidence.

Answer 8

• Smith and Lloyd: babies aged 4-6 months dressed half the time in girls clothes and half in boys.
• When interacting with adults, those seen as boys were told to be adventurous and active and given a hammer shaped rattle.
• When dressed as a girl, they were told they were pretty and reinforced for being passive.
• Shows that gender-appropriate behaviour is stamped in at a very young age through differential reinforcement.

Question 9

One strength of the SLT approach is that it can explain cultural changes in gender-appropriate behaviour.

Answer 9

• There is less of a clear-cut distinction between what is stereotypically masculine and feminine, than there was in the 1950s for example.
• There has been no change in people’s biology, so a shift is better explained by SLT.
• Change is social norms has meant new gender behaviours are unlikely to be punished nowadays.
• Shows that ST can explain cultural changes in gender behaviour.

Question 10

One limitation of the SLT approach is that it doesn’t provide an adequate explanation of how learning processes change with age.

Answer 10

• General implication of SLT is that modelling of gender-appropriate behaciour can occur at any age.
• Illogical as children aged 2 will not learn the same as 10 year olds for example.
• Conflicts with Kohlberg’s theory that children don’t become active in their development until GC.
• Suggets the influence of age and maturation aren’t concepts considered by SLT.