Social Learning Explanation of Gender Development

• What is direct reinforcement in gender behavior?

  Reinforcement for gender-appropriate behavior
• How does differential reinforcement affect boys and girls?

  Encourages distinct gender-appropriate behaviors
• What does differential reinforcement help a child learn?

  It helps a child learn their gender identity
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  Imitating behavior based on observed consequences
• What happens if the consequences of a behavior are favorable?

  That behavior is more likely to be imitated
• What is identification in the context of social learning?

  Desire to associate with someone desirable
• What do role models typically possess?

  Desirable characteristics or similarities
• What is modeling in social learning theory?

  Precise demonstration of behavior for imitation
• What are the mediational processes in social learning theory?

  • Attention: Focus on role model's actions
  • Retention: Remembering the actions
  • Reproduction: Ability to repeat actions
  • Motivation: Desire to imitate behavior
• How have cultural changes affected gender behavior distinctions?

  Less clear-cut distinctions in behaviors today
• What does social learning theory explain about cultural changes?

  It explains shifts in gender behavior
• What did Smith & Lloyd's (1978) study involve?

  Babies dressed in boys' and girls' clothes
• What behavior were boys encouraged to display in Smith & Lloyd's study?

  Adventurous and active behavior
• What behavior were girls encouraged to display in Smith & Lloyd's study?

  Being pretty and passive
• What does the hormonal differences argument suggest about gender behavior?

  Innate differences may influence behavior responses
• What is a limitation of social learning theory regarding age?

  It does not consider age and maturation effects
• How does social learning theory conflict with Kohlberg's theory?

  It overlooks age differences in learning concepts
• What is a strength for the SLT Explanation for Gender?

  Cultural Changes

  • There are less of a clear-cut distinction between what people regard as stereotypically masculine and feminine behaviour in many societies today than throughout history
  • As there has been no corresponding change in people’s basic biology, such a shift is better explained by social learning theory than the biological approach
  • This shows that social learning is one approach that can explain cultural changes in gender behaviour
• What is a strength for the SLT Explanation for Gender?

  Research Support

  • Smith & Lloyd (1978) involved babies aged 4 - 6 months old were dressed half the time in boys‘ clothes and half the time in girls’ clothes
  • When observed interacting with adults, babies who were assumed to be a boy were encouraged to be adventurous and active, whereas presumed girls were told they were pretty and were reinforced for being passive
  • This suggests that gender appropriate behaviour is stamped in at an early age through differential reinforcement, supporting social learning theory
• What is a limitation for the SLT Explanation of Gender?

  Hormonal Differences

  • Differential reinforcement may not be the cause of gender differences in behaviour
  • Adults, during interactions with their own children, may be responding to innate gender differences that are already there, such as boys being encouraged to be more active may be due to hormonal differences, making them more active anyways
  • This suggests that it is likely that social learning is only part of the explanation of how children acquire gender-related behaviours
• What is a limitation for the SLT Explanation of Gender?

  No Developmental Sequence

  • The general implication of the social learning approach is that modelling of gender-appropriate behaviour can occur at any age
  • However, it is illogical that children who are young would view the world the same way as a child who is older, also conflicting with Kohlberg’s theory
  • This suggests that influence of age and maturation on learning gender concepts is not a factor considered by social learning theory