SLT on gender

• When people imitate models showing gender-appropriate behaviour…

  • they receive direct reinforcement
  • receiving a reward makes them maintain their behaviour.
• Eventually, the attitudes and behaviours of models become internalised, which means that…


  people begin to believe that these gender-appropriate behaviours are the correct way to behave.
• According to social learning theory, a child  observes the gendered behaviour of a  model , and then  imitates  it. Children are more likely to imitate models they  identify with. These models are often of the same  gender as the child.
• Vicarious reinforcement is...

  when someone witnesses another person being rewarded for their behaviour and is therefore more likely to imitate that behaviour
• Support for the Social Learning Theory Explanation: Perry and Bussey


  PROCEDURE-

  • have group of boys and girls (aged 9) watch tv
  • on tv: men and women pick items
  • Researches have children pick fruit after watching the show

  FINDINGS-

  • children more likely to pick items same gender picked

  CONCLUSION

  • children imitate role of same gender
  • observational learning of gender-stereotypes
• Support for the Social Learning Theory Explanation: Fagot and Leinbach


  PROCEDURE-

  • conducted a longitudinal, correlational study

  AIM-

  • see if children identify to parents gender

  CONCLUSION-

  •  They found that 4-year-old children are more likely to behave in gender stereotyped ways if their parents do too.
  • They found a positive correlation between the behaviour of the parents and the behaviour of their children.
• Limitations of Social Learning Theory: Limits to the Role of Observational Learning


  PROCEDURE-

  • Martin et al showed children toys that were labelled "Boy" / "Girl"
  • Had to say how much they liked each toy

  RESULTS-

  •  children preferred toys that were labelled as for their own gender.

  CONCLUSION

  • gendered behaviour is influenced by direct reinforcement (instructions) instead of imitating role models
• Limitations of Social Learning Theory: Explaining New Gender Norms

  it can’t explain how new social norms about gender are created.