SLT

what are the mediating cognitive factors

1. attention

2. retention

3. motor reproduction

4. motivation

define model

According to SLT, people learn not only through direct experience but also by observing others. These others are called models, and their behaviour provides a guide for what to do (or not to do)

Vicarious reinforcement

Vicarious reinforcement = learning through the observing other people (models ) being either rewarded or punished for there behaviour. 

how is vicarious reinforcement related to gender 

children see models such as older siblings being praised for gender appropriate  behaviour. They are motivated to imitate as they to want to be rewarded as well. 

what is differential reinforcement

This is when children are praised for the different behaviours eg boys praised for being adventurous and girl for being quiet and playing calmly

what qualities that make someone more likely to imamate a model.

1. same sex

2. older

3. attractive

4. status

5. similar to the person

6. the person has low self esteem

what is a key idea related to when the behaviour have to be produced to be leant

In SLT the behaviour doesn’t have to be preproduced immediately for the learning to occur it can be stored and produced when it is needed and when the correct situation presents itself 

other than vicarious reinforcement what other ways do children learn about gendered behaviour

by direct tuition

socialisation

refers to the process through which individuals learn the behaviours, attitudes, expectations and roles that a society considers appropriate for males and females.

One strength is evidence in support of SLTs explanation for gender development

Point:
A strength of the Social Learning Theory explanation of gender development is that it is supported by research showing that gendered behaviour is learned through differential reinforcement.

Evidence:
Seavey et al.’s study found that adults treated the same infant differently depending on the gender they believed the child had. When the baby was dressed in blue and presumed to be male, adults were more likely to offer a ball and engage in active play. In contrast, when the baby was dressed in pink and presumed to be female, adults tended to offer a doll and interact more gently.

Explain:
This gender is passed down through Socialisation (this refers to the process through which individuals learn the behaviours, attitudes, expectations in this case related to gender roles that a society considers appropriate for males and females. Adults reward and encourage different behaviours in children based on perceived gender. Such differential reinforcement provides children with clear messages about which behaviours are considered appropriate for boys or girls, shaping their interests, preferences, and gender identity.

Link:
Therefore, Seavey et al.’s findings support SLT because they show that gender development is strongly influenced by environmental factors, such as modelling and reinforcement, rather than being purely biological.

One limitation is that it doesn’t explain gender dysphoria

A limitation of the Social Learning Theory explanation of gender development is that it cannot fully explain gender dysphoria, where an individual’s gender identity does not match their biological sex.

Evidence:
SLT argues that children learn gender through modelling, imitation, and differential reinforcement, as demonstrated in Seavey et al.’s study where adults encouraged gender-typical behaviours from infants. However, individuals with gender dysphoria often report feeling a cross-gender identity from a very young age, even when they have been consistently reinforced and rewarded for gender-typical behaviour.

Explain:
This shows that social learning processes alone cannot account for the experience of a gender identity that differs from assigned biological sex. It suggests that innate or biological factors also play a role in gender development.

Link:
Therefore, while SLT explains how gender stereotypes and behaviours can be reinforced in childhood (as in Seavey et al.), it provides only a partial explanation, because it cannot account for cases where gender identity develops independently of social reinforcement.

overly deterministic

A limitation of the Social Learning Theory explanation of gender development is that it is environmentally deterministic and does not account for biological influences.

Evidence:
Research by McGinley et al. on the Batista Boys found that despite years of being socialised as girls due to a rare intersex condition, the children’s biological sex ultimately determined their gender identity and development. This demonstrates that socialisation alone could not override innate biological factors.

Explain:
This shows that gender development cannot be explained solely through modelling, imitation, or differential reinforcement. Biological factors, such as chromosomes and hormones, play a crucial role in shaping gender identity, highlighting the limitations of SLT.

Link:
Therefore, while SLT explains how gendered behaviours can be reinforced socially (as in Seavey et al.), evidence from the Batista Boys illustrates that biology places constraints on gender development, meaning SLT offers only a partial explanation.