Social learning theory

• Bandura suggested that all behaviour including gender roles is learned in a social context
• Gender roles are learnt through observation and imitation of role models, particularly the same sex parent or role model
• Role models tend to be attractive, high status and the same sex as the child
• If children observe a role model being rewarded in some way for gender appropriate behaviour, they are particularly likely to be motivated to copy that behaviour - known as vicarious reinforcement
• Vicarious reinforcement example

  A boy who sees his father praised for completing a DIY project will be likely to imitate the same behaviour, like playing with a tool set
• Mediational factors decide whether we carry out a gender appropriate behaviour or not
• Mediational factors:

  • Attention - watch the model and pay attention
  • Retention - must remember how to carry out the behaviour
  • Production - need to actually be able to do the behaviour
  • Motivation - must want to do it
• Example meditational factors - Boy copying his father doing DIY:

  • Attention - must watch his father doing the DIY project
  • Retention - boy must remember what he has seen
  • Production - has to have access to tools
  • Motivation - similar praise
• Children may only learn gender appropriate behaviour through direct rewards.
• Boys who are praised for being active and assertive, they will be encourage to repeat such behaviour
• If girls are told off for being assertive, they will be less likely to repeat this behaviour
• AO3 - Smith and Lloyd

  Supports the theory. A baby is presented as either a boy (Adam) or a girl (Beth), and consequently were treated very differently. This shows that fender appropriate behaviour is indeed encouraged by parents at an early age, supporting SLT
• AO3 - Perry and Bussey

  Used 8 and 9 year olds. Children watched a film or male and female adults choosing between 16 pairs of items like cows and horses. They were then asked to chose on item.

  They found that when all the men chose the cow, boys imitated and chose the cow and when all the women chose the horse the girls chose the horse.

  Shows that children imitate same sex models - supporting SLT
• AO3 - Martin

  Found that pre-school boys were more influenced by a label identifying toys and 'boys toys' or 'girls toys' than they were by seeing other girls and boys playing with those toys.

  Suggests that direct instruction (label) may be more important than modelling in school - goes against SLT
• AO3 - David Reimer

  Suggests that the role of nurture may be less powerful that biology and the role of hormones and chromosomes. As even with being brought up as a girl, with his chromosomes being male they were too strong and he ended up changing back to a boy
• AO3 - Modern society

  In modern society there is a less clear distinction between acceptable gender role behaviour for males and females than was true in the past.

  It is now far more acceptable to be rather androgynous, despite no change in or biology compared to other generations.

  This must be due to gender cultural norms, which is consistent with SLT explanation of gender