SLT explanantion: Gender development

• SLT acknowledges the role that the social context plays in development and states that all behavior is learned from observing others
• Direct reinforcement: Gender development

  Children are more likely to be reinforced for demonstrating gender-appropriate behaviour.

  • differential reinforcement
  • behaviours that are reinforced are then imitated
• differential reinforcement 


  the way in which boys and girls are encouraged to show distinct gender-appropriate behaviour
• Indirect reinforcement: Gender development

  if the consequences of another person's behaviour are favourable, that behaviour is more likely to be imitated by a child

  • if consequences are unfavourable, child is less likely to imitate
• identification ROLE MODELS : gender development

  refers to the process whereby a child attaches themself to a person who is seen to be like them and their qualities seen as rewarding

  • these are role models and are usually a part of the child's intimate environment
• identification MODELLING: Gender Development

  modelling is the precise demonstration of behaviour that may be imitated by an observer

  • mother may model sterotypical feminine behaviour
• Mediational processes: Gender Development

  • Attention
  • Retention
  • Motivation
  • Motor reproduction
• SLT Gender devlopement: Supporting evidenve

  Smith and Lloyd

  • 4-6 month-old babies who were dressed half the time as boys and half the time as girls
  • when witnessing interactions with adults, the 'boy' babies were encouraged to do adventurous activities
  • the 'girl' babies were handed a doll and frequently told they were pretty
  • suggesting that gender-appropriate behaviour is stamped in at an early age through differential reinforcement
• how is the SLT an explanation for gender development environmentally deterministic?

  places little emphasis on the influence of genes and chromosomes and only consider the role of the environment

  • David Reimer's case study demonstrated that it was not possible to override chormosmal influence despite changing the environment
  • most cultures show similar gender sterotypical behaviour
  • suggests gender behaviour is innate
• the counterargument for the SLT explanation for gender development being environmentally deterministic?

  SLT explains changing gender roles in Western society

  • shift in social expectations and cultural norms over time meaning that new acceptable forms of gender behaviour have been reinforced
  • the biological theory can not explain this and supports the idea that gender is socially constructed