SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

• WHAT DOES THE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY OF GENDER DEVELOPMENT EXPLAIN?

  how social factors lead to the demonstration of gender-appropriate behaviours
• WHO BEGAN THE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY?

  Bandura
• WHAT IS DIRECT REINFORCEMENT?

  either when a child is rewarded/ praised for demonstrating gender-appropriate behaviour or punished for demonstrating gender-inappropriate behaviour
• WHAT IS DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT?

  the way in which boys and girls are encouraged to show distinct gender-appropriate behaviour, which is how they learn their gender identity
• WHAT IS VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT?

  consequences making behaviour more or less likely to be imitated
• WHAT HAPPENS IN SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY?

  children identify with role models

  -> modelling and mediational processes key to learning gender behaviour
• COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY?

  high status, attractive, usually same gender
• EVALUATION OF SLT OF GENDER DEVELOPMENT?

  +/- research

  -experimental setting

  -fails to explain gender inconsistent behaviour despite parental reinforcement

  -gender stereotypes across cultures
• RESEARCH DISCUSSING SLT?

  + Smith and Lloyd

  + Bussey and Bandura

  + Idle et al

  -Feder and Whalen
• SMITH AND LLOYD?

  • infants swapped outfits with opposite sex
  • adults gave boys hammer-shaped rattle and encouraged them to be active
  • adults gave girls cuddly doll and told them they were"pretty"
  • gender stereotypical behaviour encouraged from an early age by direct reinforcement
• BUSSEY AND BANDURA?

  • 3 year olds who couldn't identify gender
  • had to rate how they would feel playing in particular ways
  • lower rating for opposite gender
  • explains stereotypical behaviour despite lack of gender identity
  • explains differences between boys and girls (ridiculed)
• IDLE ET AL?

  • 42 parents and child
  • observed with toys
  • daughters encouraged to play with dolls, especially by the mother
  • sons encouraged to play with clowns, especially by the father
  • shows influence of the gender of the parent and gender of the child
  • explains role of parents
• FEDER AND WHALEN?

  • male rats castrated
  • showed feminine behaviour
  • suggesting lack of testosterone influences female gender development
  • SLT too environmentally deterministic
  • fails to consider role of nature
• EXPERIMENTAL SETTING?

  • Smith and Lloyd
  • lacks mundane realism
  • may behave differently at home
  • may be responding to social desirability
• FAILS TO EXPLAIN GENDER INCONSISTENT BEHAVIOUR?

  • despite positive reinforcement and active punishment
  • some still refuse to conform
  • transgender example
• GENDER STEREOTYPES SIMILAR ACROSS CULTURES?

  • in most cultures men seen as dominant, women seen as nurturing
  • if mainly social, should expect more differences
  • evolutionary theory better