Evaluation

• Support for modelling

  • Perry & Bussey
  • Showed 8-9 year-olds same-sex and opposite-sex adult models picking fruit
  • Children tended to pick the same as their same-sex model
• Support for differential reinforcement


  • Smith & Lloyd
  • 4-6-month-olds were dressed in pink or blue clothes
  • Babies assumed to be boys given stereotypical boys' toys - hammer
  • Girls given girls' toys - doll
  • Gender-appropriate behaviour stamped in at an early age through differential reinforcement
• Counterpoint to Smith & Lloyd


  • Differential reinforcement may not be the cause of gender differences in behaviour
  • Adults may be responding to innate gender differences that are already there
  • E.g. boys may be more active due to hormonal issues
  • Therefore, SLT is only part of the explanation of how children acquire gender-related behaviours
• Support for vicarious reinforcement


  • Bussey & Bandura
  • Showed 3-4 year-olds videos of children playing with gendered toys
  • Children disapproved of playing with gender-inconsistent toys and sought gender-consistent toys to play with