Unit 1.Social Learning Theory of gender development

Acquisition of gender roles Performance of gender roles

Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation

We have to identify with someone in order to want to imitate their behaviour

If they are the same-sex as us If we find them likeable and attractive If they have power and status

Indirect reinforcement of a behaviour. We see someone else performing a behaviour and it being rewarded (e.g.

with praise, complements) and this makes us more likely to reproduce the behavior ourselves.

Self-efficacy refers to the extent to which we feel confident and able to reproduce a behavior we have seen modelled. If we have high self-efficacy we are confident that we can reproduce the behavior ourselves, if we have low self-efficacy we might admire a behavior we see modelled but not feel able to reproduce it ourselves.

Anyone - can be someone who we have contact with in our family or group of friends. Or it may be someone who we admire from afar - e.

g. on television or even in a cartoon.

No, gender development is a lifelong process and can change over time as we grow up and are exposed to different role models

The nurture side - it says gender development occurs in the context of our environment and our experiences in life.

Internalisation occurs when we have reproduced a behaviour we have observed in a role model over time and it has become part of us - a habit rather than a conscious choice.

Yes, SLT says choosing and identifying with role models is a conscious process

SLT suggests that we are more likely to identify with a role model of the same sex. In theory the same principles could be applied to imitating behaviours of opposite-sex role models.

That mothers differentiate in their play with girls and boys, even when only 6 months old. Boys and girls initially given gender appropriate toys (e.g. a hammer, a doll) and boys encouraged to play more actively.

Lacks construct validity (true measurement of what is aims to measure) Lacks temporal validity (truth over time) Small sample, only mothers - difficult to generalize

People who watch lots of TV hold stronger gender stereotypes than people who view little.

Women in traditionally masculine jobs were evaluated more negatively than men in traditionally feminine jobs.

Fathers more negative when their sons play with 'feminine' toys than mothers

Teachers praise boys for being clever/achieving academically & girls for being tidy and doing as they're told.

Children were more critical of their male peers when they engaged in feminine activities than of girls engaged in masculine activities.