Social learning theory as applied to gender development

Question 1

How do people learn gender development through indirect reinforcement?

Answer 1

• children observe the behaviours of others and learn the consequences of the behaviour (vicarious reinforcement)
• by observing the consequences of gender behaviours (i.e at home, at school or through tv) children gradually learn about what is appropriate behaviour in the real world
• Thus they learn through observation and vicarious reinforcement
• this is vital as although boys and girls may observe characteristics of both sexes, they are only likely to repeat behaviours of people they identify with

Question 2

What are mediational processes?

Answer 2

Attention, retention, reproduction and motivation

Question 3

How does maintenance from direct reinforcement influence behaviour?

Answer 3

• if a child is rewarded for certain gender-related behaviour they are more likely to repeat the same action in similar situations in the future
• this direct reinforcement then influences the usefulness of that behaviour for that child.
• this direct reinforcement is also vital because a child may see a same sex individual behaving in a particular way and being rewarded

Question 4

How does direct tuition influence gender development?

Answer 4

• Direct tuition refers to learning through explicit instructions about gender behaviour
• i.e a girl will be praised for being passive whereas a boy may be praised for being assertive
• direct tuition begins when children acquire linguistic skills
• it is a convenient way of informing children about inappropriate /appropriate styles of conduct

Question 5

what is self-direction?

Answer 5

• Bandura believes that people are not just shaped by environmental forces but also have the capacity to direct themselves
• this is called reciprocal determinism
• this means that once a child has internalised gender appropriate behaviours their own behaviour is no longer dependent on external rewards or punishments.
• in other words, they then direct their own behaviour
• this is a key element of the social learning approach - the active role of children in their observational learning