social learning theory applied to gender development A01

• -          Social learning theory was proposed by albert bandura.

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• -          This theory acknowledges that biology, so nature has a role to play in gender development but mainly focuses on nurture and how we learn through both direct and indirect conditioning.
• -          His main focus was the indirect nature of learning by observation and imitation.
• -          Social learning theory is about what we learn from others by modelling their behaviour.
• -          Organisms learn new behaviours through classical and operant conditioning – which involves association and reinforcement respectively.
• -          However, bandura noted that association and direct reinforcement alone could not explain the complexity of human behaviour and proposed that gender role development is the result of learning from social agents who model and reinforce gender role behaviour.
• Indirect reinforcement

  -          Learning can occurring indirectly through vicarious reinforcement this is when a child associates with another who is of same sex to them and sees them being rewarded for displaying gender appropriate behaviour and so they are then considered a role model and so the observer them imitates this model because they want to achieve the same awards and this is all facilitated by the 4 mediational processes which are in between stimulus (other child begging rewarded ) and response (imitation
• Indirect reinforcement

  -          Role models are often socially desirable and same sex as the observer – popular or wealthy
• Indirect reinforcement

  -          Children see gender behaviour at home, school, tv.
• Indirect reinforcement

  -          By observing the consequences if such gender behaviour children gradually learn what behaviour is appropriate in the world around them according to their gender – so they have learned behaviours through observation and they also learn when and whether or not some behaviours are worth repeating through vicarious reinforcement.
• Indirect reinforcement

  Vicarious reinforcement is vital – this is because although children observe the characteristics of both sexes they are only likely to repeated the behaviours of the people they identify with – meaning girls are likely to imitate behaviours they see other girls doing and although boys may learn a lot about the homemaking role form observing mother they are less likely to repeat such behaviour because they do not identify with the mother and her gender
• The role of mediational processes

  -          Bandura’s theory moved from behaviourism to cognitive behaviourism when exploring mediational processes this is because it now involves mental representation.
• The role of mediational processes

  -          When the appropriate opportunity arises for a child in the future a child will display behaviours, they have observed provided that their expectation for reward is greater than their expectation of punishment – and the display of such behaviours is called imitation.
• The role of mediational processes

  -          Whether a child imitates behaviour they have observed others doing depends on indirect reinforcement and opportunity as well as expectations of reward and punishment
• The role of mediational processes

  -          Mediational process determine if a behaviour is learnt and therefore if it can be imitated depending on indirect reinforcement , opportunity and expectation of award over punishment

  -          1st = attention – to the behaviour

  -          2nd = retain – remembering what someone was doing

  -          3rd= motivation – if they have observed praise for others , motivates them as they want the same

  -          4th = motor reproduction – is individuals physical ability to imitate and their efficiency to
• Maintained through direct reinforcement.

  -          One method of direct learning which is specific to gender development is differential reinforcement – this is when children are specifically rewarded by their parents or agent of socialisation like a teacher for displaying appropriate behaviour – this reinforces gender stereotypes and contributes to a child’s gender identity
• Maintained through direct reinforcement.

  -          If a child is rewarded for a certain gender related behaviour, they are likely to repeat the same action in a similar situation in the future.

  -          The direct reinforcement then influences the usefulness of that behaviour for that child.
• direct tuition

  -          Children learn through indirect and direct reinforcement but also through explicit and direct instructions about appropriate gender behaviour.
• direct tuition

  -          Direct tuition begins when children acquire linguistic skills, and it serves as a convenient way of informing children about appropriate or inappropriate styles of conduct / behaviour for their gender.
• Self- direction

  -          Bandura believed we are not just shaped form our environment but that we also have the capacity to direct ourselves and this process is called reciprocal determinism – meaning once a child has internalised gender appropriate behaviour their behaviour is no longer determined by external rewards and punishment and so they can direct their one behaviour.
• Self- direction

  -          This is regarded as a key element to social learning theory – which is the active role of children in their observational learning.

  Child internalize gender appropriate behaviour and no longer is determined on by external rewards and punishments which is called reciprocal determinism and is a key element of SLT which is that children have an active role in their observational learning.