5 Gender- Social learning theory applied to gender development (Influence of culture and media on gender roles)

What is the basic idea of SLT in gender development?

Children learn gender roles through observation, imitation, reinforcement and identification with gender role models.

What is vicarious reinforcement in gender development?

Children observe others being rewarded or punished for gendered behaviour and imitate behaviours that appear rewarded.

What is direct reinforcement in SLT?

When children are praised for gender-appropriate behaviours and discouraged or punished for gender-inappropriate ones.

What is modelling in gender development?

Children imitate the behaviour of role models (often same-gender parents, siblings, peers, or media characters) who display gendered behaviours.

What is identification in SLT?

The process of adopting behaviours of someone the child sees as similar or desirable—often same-sex adults or admired media characters.

According to SLT, what makes a role model influential?

High status, similarity to the child (especially gender), attractiveness, and perceived success.

How does SLT explain cultural differences in gender roles?

Different cultures reinforce and model gendered behaviours differently, leading to variations in gender stereotypes worldwide.

What does cross-cultural research generally suggest about gender roles?

Despite some universal patterns, many gender role differences arise from cultural norms and socialisation practices rather than biology alone.

Explain the role of social norms in cultural influence on gender development.

Cultural norms shape expectations for male and female behaviour

How does the media influence children's gender development?

Media provides powerful role models that often present gender stereotypes, shaping children's beliefs about what males and females should do.

What is the effect of media on children’s gender stereotypes?

Media often exaggerates gender differences, reinforcing rigid gender roles that children internalise through identification and imitation.

How can exposure to counter-stereotypical media influence gender development?

It can challenge traditional expectations and lead to more flexible and egalitarian gender attitudes.

What did Smith & Lloyd (1978) find about reinforcement?

Mothers encouraged supposedly “boys” to be active and “girls” to be gentle, even when the babies' gender was disguised—showing direct reinforcement of gendered behaviour.

What did Bussey & Bandura (1999) find?

Children as young as 4 reported feeling bad about performing opposite-gender activities, showing internalisation of social expectations.

What did Mead’s research in Papua New Guinea suggest?

Cultural variation in gendered behaviour (e.g., aggressive women, gentle men) challenges biological determinism and supports social learning influences.

What did Williams’ “Notel” study show about media influence?

When TV was introduced to a remote Canadian town (“Notel”), children’s gender stereotypes became significantly stronger, demonstrating media’s impact.

Give a strength of SLT as an explanation of gender development.

Supported by research showing reinforcement and modelling shape gender behaviour, and explains cultural and individual differences.

Give a limitation of SLT in explaining gender development.

It underplays biological influences such as hormones, which contribute to gendered behaviour beyond learning.

Why is SLT useful in understanding changing gender roles?

As societal norms and media representations change, gender roles also shift, consistent with SLT predictions.

What is a criticism of research on media influence?

Much of it is correlational, so it is unclear whether media causes stereotypes or simply reflects existing social norms.

Why might cross-cultural research on gender roles be difficult to interpret?

Observer bias and cultural misunderstanding can distort findings, and behaviour may not mean the same thing across cultures.

Give a strength of cultural research on gender.

Cross-cultural variation supports the idea that gender roles are socially constructed rather than fixed or purely biological.