As you’d expect, Social learning theory with its roots in behaviourism adopts the view that gender is learned from others, the nurture end of the nature nurture debate. By now, as seasoned second year psychologists there should be no surprises. We’ve seen SLT in Approaches, phobias, addiction, eating behaviour etc. You should be expecting to see role models, parents, peers, reinforcement, imitation, identification and internalisation. You’re not going to be disappointed.
Direct reinforcement and punishment
As we’re growing up we are reinforced for appropriate behaviours. However, in the case of different sexes there is differential reinforcement. Each sex is reinforced and punished for different behaviours. Generally boys are reinforced for being competitive, assertive and playing aggressively. Girls are reinforced for loyalty and for their caring behaviour. The effect is especially strong on boys who are more actively discouraged from engaging in traditionally feminine activities, particularly by their fathers. No way was I going to be allowed to needlework at primary school, despite my protestations!
Once a child has been reinforced for gender-appropriate behaviour it starts to look for similar behaviour in other members of the same sex that it can then imitate.
Indirect (vicarious) reinforcement
Seeing others being reinforced for their behaviour has a powerful effect on the observer, as Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment showed. This vicarious reinforcement applies just as much to gender as it does to other behaviours.
Examples: boys watching dad being reinforced for his competitive attitude on the golf course or a girl seeing mum being complimented on her appearance. Stereotypical examples I know, but that is what we’re looking to explain.
Again, seeing others punished for gender-inappropriate behaviours like boys attending needlework classes would also apply.
Identification and Internalisation
Role models, as you already know, have powerful effect on our behaviour. Celebrity endorsement is a favourite way of persuading people to buy a variety of products. If a child wants to be like their role model, footballer, rap artist, scientist, Donald Trump (don’t laugh, it could happen) they are more likely to identify with that person and then imitate their behaviour. As we’ve also seen, identification is most powerful when the role model is of similar age, sex, race etc.
Imitated behaviour is hen internalised. The role model’s behaviour becomes part of the behavioural repertoire of the observer. Role models themselves can be active in this process and demonstrate the behaviours that they want to be copied. Parents and teachers are the most likely role models for this more active form of modelling.
CGS Psychology Blog: Mrs Harris 