Social Learning Explanation Of Gender Development Flashcards
What is SLT
Way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement so combines learning theory with the roles of cognitive factors
Does explanation focus on nature or nurture
Nurture as draws attention to the influence of the environment in shaping gender development
Elements of the social context someone is in that can affect their gender development
Parents, peers, teachers, culture and the media
What is direct reinforcement
When a child is directly praised themself for demonstrating behaviour that is gender appropriate
What is differential reinforcement
The way in which boys and girls are encouraged to show distinct gender-appropriate behaviour, how a child learns their gender identity
What is indirect(vicarious) reinforcement
If the consequences of another persons behaviour are favourable that behaviour is more likely to be imitated by a child eg if little girl sees her mother receive a compliment when she wears makeup the girl may try to replicate this behaviour when she is able
What is indirect punishment
When consequences of behaviour are seen to be unfavourable behaviour is less likely to be imitated eg if a little boy sees a male classmate teased for displaying feminine behaviour such behaviour is unlikely to be copied
What is identification
Process whereby a child attaches themself to a role model who is seen to share similar characteristics to them/someone they want to be like. Role models tend to be attractive, high status and usually same sex as child
What is modelling
The precise demonstration of a behaviour that may be imitated by an observer eg a mother may model stereotypically feminine behaviour when tidying the house which little girl may model
What are mediational processes
Cognitive processes that are central to the learning of gender behaviour, include attention, retention, motivation (wanting to be like their role model/if behaviour rewarded)/ motor reproduction
What did Bussey and Bandura find
Not all behaviour imitated, there needs to be some quality in the role model a person wants to imitate and tend to identify with same sex models
Expand on strength that there is supporting evidence
-Smith and Lloyd carried out study involving 4-6 month old babies who were dressed half the time in boys clothes and half the time in girls clothes irrespective of their actual sexual
-babies assumed to be boys were given a hammer shaped rattle and encouraged to be active and adventurous
-when same babies dressed as girls they were handed a cuddly doll and reinforced for being passive
-suggests gender-appropriate behaviour is stamped in at an early age through differential reinforcement
Expand on strength that approach can explain changing gender roles
-now exists less of a clear cut distinction between what people regard as stereotypically masculine and feminine behaviour in our society
-can be explained by a shift in social expectations and cultural norms over the years that has meant new forms of acceptable gender behaviour have been reinforced
-as there has been no corresponding change in people’s basic biology within the same period this shift is better explained by SLT than biological approach
Expand on limitation that SLT is not a developmental theory
-critics have argued SLT does not provide an adequate explanation of how learning processes change with age
-some age limitations eg motor reproduction as a mediational process suggests children may struggle to perform behaviours if they are not physically/intellectually capable
-however the general implication is that modelling of gender appropriate behaviour can occur from birth onwards
-challenges theory we does not take into account the influence of age and maturation
Expand on limitation that approach places little emphasis of role of genes and chromosomes
-research has found hormones play a role in gender related behaviours eg Nannie Van de Poll found female rats injected with testosterone were more physically and sexually aggressive
-bio social approach may be more appropriate- innate biological differences are reinforced through social interactions and cultural expectations
