Social Explanations of Gender

• In addition to biology, another factor that might influence gender differences is social environment.
• We learn to behave in a “masculine” or “feminine” way by observing and imitating the behaviour of models of the same gender.
• According to social learning theory, we learn gender-appropriate behaviour by imitating models who might be peers, teacher, siblings or anyone else of the same gender.
• When we observe people of the same gender behave in gender-appropriate ways, we obtain vicarious reinforcement if we see them being praised. This makes us more likely to imitate that behaviour.
• When people imitate models showing gender-appropriate behaviour they receive direct reinforcement, receiving this 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.
• Direct reinforcement is when someone is rewarded for their own behaviour, and is therefore more likely to repeat it.
• Perry and Bussey's study supports the idea of identification with models of the same gender AND observational learning of gender-appropriate behaviour.
• Perry and Bussey's study

  They showed their participants a film of models of different genders choosing between two items.

  Participants then chose between the same items.

  They found that participants preferred whichever item was chosen by models of the same gender in the film.
• In their study, Fagot and Leinbach investigated the behaviours of a group of boys and girls from the age of 18​ months, until they were 4​ years old. This means that their study was a Longitudinal study.
• Fagot and Leinbach investigated whether the behaviours of the children were linked to the behaviours of their parents. So their study was a Correlational study.
• Fagot and Leinbach found a positive correlation between parents' stereotypical gender behaviours and those of their children.
• Similarities between children and parents could also be due to children inheriting particular gene alleles from their parents.
• Fagot and Leinbach

  • Fagot and Leinbach conducted a longitudinal study
  • Fagot and Leinbach conducted a correlational study
  • 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.
• Martin et al (1975) - limitation of the SLT explanation of gender

  • Told the children what were typically 'male' or 'female' toys, then asked them to rate the toys.
  • Children preferred toys that were labelled as for their own gender.
  • Suggests that gendered behaviour is influenced by direct instructions about what is “for boys” or “for girls”
• One limitation of the social learning theory explanation of gender is that it can’t explain how new social norms about gender are created.