SLT explanation of Gender Development
Environmental Influence
Modelling
Identification
gender behaviour is determined by environmental influences
environmental influences are learned as a result of observation and modelling in social contexts
Imitation of a single behaviour of someone who has acted as a model
Meditational Processes
attention (watching the gender behaviour)
retention (storing it in the memory)
motor reproduction (feeling able to reproduce the gender behaviour)
motivation (reinforcement/punishment)
Bandura (1963): child is more likely to imitate the behaviour of a model if they observe positive consequences of behavior
Modelling is one behaviour, identification is when a child adopts a wide range of behaviours from model
The child will reproduce the gender behaviour of the model
Vicarious reinforcement
Identifies with a role model and imitates their behaviour,
The children observe consequences or positive reinforcements that they gain for behaving/performing a certain behaviour. They observe the consequences more.
EG. A boy may learn that crying is a sign of weakness from other men shaming them for crying, learning that they should not cry to show emotion.
Vicariously conditioned via the media, and more likely to be praised if they show gender appropriate behaviour
In the media: cartoon characters in the media can act as a model