Social learning theory

• What does the Social learning theory of gender suggest?

  Social learning theory suggests that our gender differences arise from our interactions and people teaching us how to behave.

  • Also fictional characters and people we'll never meet.
  • The way a society values men and women and expectations of both is one of the most important factors in sculpting gender differences.
• What does Socialisation mean?

  Our interactions with other human beings
• What does Role model mean?

  Individuals developing who they are through the limitation of someone they look up to
• What does Modelling mean?

  Anyone that exhibits behaviours others can see

  • (e.g., if a father spends his time fixing things and a mother spends her time cleaning, they're modelling traditional behaviour).
• What does Identification mean?

  As children we're more susceptible to models and their behaviour, but it's a fundamental principle of SLT that we have people who we model ourselves for. Several factors increase likelihood of identification with a model (who can then be said to be a role model).
• There are 4 aspects of identification, what are they?

  • Sex
  • Success
  • Status
  • Attractiveness
• What does sex mean for identification?

  Identifying more with our own sex
• What does success mean for identification?

  More likely to identify with someone modelling themselves as succeeding

  (e.g., being happy, having power etc).
• What does status mean for identification?

  If someone is known to be well regarded, they're more appealing models and their behaviour are more appealing to imitate
• What does attractiveness mean for identification?

  More likely to identify with someone we find more attractive
• What does Vicarious reinforcement?

  When a person witnesses a model being rewarded for behaving in a gender-appropriate way
• What does Direct reinforcement mean?

  When a children's own actions are reinforced or punished
• What does Differential reinforcement mean?

  The way in which girls and boys are encouraged to show certain gender-appropriate behaviour
• What does Internalisation mean?

  *FINISH THIS ONE*