Social Learning Theory

and Gender Development

Learning Objectives:

Describe how social learning theory explains
gender development.

Know and understand the role of modelling,
identification and reinforcement in gender
development.

Evaluate the evidence for the social learning
theory of gender development.

Explain the limitations of the social
learning theory of gender development.
According to SLT...

Gender is learned by
observing and
imitating others;

At birth, girls & boys
are psychologically
the same;

Gender differences
are learned through
the differences in the
ways boys & girls are
treated.
 Smith & Lloyd (1978)
 Do mothers behave
differently towards a
baby depending on
the perceived sex of
the baby?
 What did Smith &
Lloyd conclude?
 What were the
problems with their
conclusions?
 The Experimental Method
Read pages 63, 87, 93 & 106 then write
definitions for the following:
•What is an experiment?
•What is construct validity?
•What is temporal validity?
What did other research find…?
• Idle et al(1993)… • Lots of TV = strong gender
stereotypes.
• Fagot (1985)… • Okay for men to have feminine
• McGhee and Frueh roles but not for women to take
masculine roles.
(1980)…
• Fathers want their sons to play
• Eccles (1987)… with masculine toys, mothers
don’t worry about it so much.
• Pfost & Fiore (1990)…
• Teachers praise boys for being
clever & girls for being tidy.
• Peers more critical of boys
being feminine than girls being
masculine.
The important processes to remember…

Acquisition of behaviour…

Performing the behaviour…

Gender is developed by….
Identifying with people who model gender behaviour. What does this mean if
you have a mum who works and a dad who stays at home?
Identification…

…not all behaviour is imitated. There needs to be

some quality or characteristic in the role model
that a person wants to imitate.

Rab C Nesbitt…that’s a lovely Sportacus from Lazy

string vest… Town…encouraging
children to exercise and
eat ‘sports candy…!
Who makes the better role model?
Who would your role models be?
Role model behaviour is then…
…reproduced, copied or imitated
Four Conditions to Social Learning

• Attention

• Retention

• Reproduction

• Motivation