Social learning theory - AO3

Question 1

What is a strength for differential reinforcment?

Answer 1

• P: Strength = evidence for differential reinforcement
• E: Smith and Lloyd (1978): observed adults with babies aged 4-6 months who were dressed half the time in boys clothes and half the time in girl’s clothes
• E: Babies assumed to be boys were encouraged to be adventurous and active - given a hammer. Girls - reinforced for passivity, given a doll over praised for being pretty
• L: Gender appropriate behaviour is stamped in at an early age through differential reinforcment and supports the SLT explanation of gender development

Question 2

What are two strengths of SLT?

Answer 2

• P: Strength = explain cultural changes
• E: More androgyny in many societies today than there was in 1950s
• E: Shift in societal expectations and cultural norms means new forms of gender behaviours are unlikely to be punished and may be reinforced
• L: Social learning not biology can better explain gender behaviour (cognitive factors) could also explain cultural changes in terms of schema (stereotypes)

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• P: Strength = identification
• E: Freud throught identification was important in gender development. Claimed the key prorcess is internalising the gender identity of the same-sex parent
• E: SLT view of identification also includes a whole host of gender appropriate role models e.g siblings, peers, media
• L: Likely that key people might well be key inlfuence but not the sole influence

Question 3

What is a limitation of SLT?

Answer 3

• P: Strength = does not explain developmental process
• E: The implication of SLT is that modelling of gender appropriate behaviour can occur at any age i.e from birth onwards
• E: It’s illogical that children who are 2 learn the same was as chidlren who are nine (conflicts with Kohlberg’s theory)
• L: Influence of age and maturation on learning gender concepts is not considered by SLT