social learning

• +slt evidence key principles. Smith & Lloyd 1978 babies age 4-6 months irrespective of their actual sex and dressed them like boys half time and girl other. When observed interacting with adults, babies assumed to be a boy were more likely to be given a rattle and encouraged to be adventurous and active. When the same babies were dressed as girls they were more likely to be handed a cuddly doll, told they were pretty and reinforced for being passive. suggests gender appropriate behaviour is stamped in at an early age through differential reinforcement, supporting slt.
• However, differential reinforcement may not be the full cause of gender differences in behaviour. Indeed, adults, during interactions with their own children, may simply be responding to innate gender differences that are already there. For example, the observation that boys are encouraged to be more active during play may be a consequence of the fact that they are naturally more active anyway, due to hormonal differences. This suggests that it is likely that social learning is only part of the explanation of how children acquire gender-related behaviours.
• -slt does inadequate explanation how learning changes with age. general implication of the social learning approach is that modelling of gender-appropriate behaviour can occur at any age, i.e. from birth onwards. However, it seems illogical that children who are, say, two years old learn in the same way as children who are nine years old. conflicts with Kohlberg's theory that children do not become active in their gender development until they reach gender constancy. suggests that influence of age and maturation on learning gender concepts is not a factor considered by slt.
• +slt can explain cultural changes in stereotypically gender-appropriate behaviour.There exists less of a clear- cut distinction between what people regard as stereotypically masc and fem behaviour in many societies today than 1950s. no corresponding change in people's basic biology within the same period, such a shift is much better explained by slt than the bio approach. shift in social expectations and cultural norms over the years has meant new gender behaviour are now unlikely to be punished and may be reinforced. shows that slt can explain cultural changes in gender behaviour
• slt and gender development:

  • All behaviour (including gender) is learned from observing others​
  • Therefore environment (nurture) plays a large part in shaping gender development​
  • Parents, peers, teachers, media, culture, etc. influence a child’s gender development
• Direct reinforcement

  • Boys and girls are rewarded (through praise, attention etc.) for showing gender-appropriate behaviour​
  • E.G. Boys rewarded for being active, rough, assertive​
  • Children are also punished for demonstrating gender-inappropriate behaviour (boys may be teased for being shy or passive)​

  ​When boys and girls are rewarded and punished for showing different behaviour this is called differential reinforcement
• Vicarious reinforcement

  • If someone is rewarded for their behaviour we are more likely to imitate it​
  • E.g. a little girl sees her mother receive a compliment when she wears makeup and a pretty dress, that girl may try to replicate this behaviour when she is able​
  • If the behaviour observed is punished – a boy being teased for being feminine, then other boys are less likely to imitate the behaviour
• Identification and modelling

  Identification: when a child attaches themselves to a person who they see as ‘like me’ or someone who ‘I want to be’​

  • The person possesses qualities the child sees as being rewarding​
  • These people are known as role models​
  • Parents, peers, teachers, famous people etc.​
  • ​

  Tend to be: ​

  • Attractive​
  • High-status​
  • Crucially: the same sex as the child
• • Modelling (from the role-models POV) is the demonstration of a behaviour that may be imitated by the observer​
  • (stereotypical) Mother tidying the house or preparing dinner​

  Modelling (from the observer’s POV) is when the child replicates the behaviour he or she witnessed before – playing with dolls preparing dinner – the child is modelling behaviour
• Mediational processes (ARMM)

  • SLT proposed 4 mediational (cognitive) processes involved in learning behaviour:​

  1. Attention: paying close attention to the behaviour (little boy watching Messi play)​
  2. Retention: remembering the skills observed ​
  3. Motivation: comes from the boy wanting to be like his hero (identification)​
  4. Motor reproduction: being physically capable of performing the behaviour