Gender Development
The theme of unit 2 is explaining how children learn their gender. The learning approach uses social learning theory and operant conditioning to
explain this.
According to the learning approach all behaviour is learned through experiences and interaction with the environment.
It does not consider genetic influences or sex differences between males and females. Any sex differences down to learning experiences.
Operant conditioning explains that gender behaviour is shaped through reinforcement and punishment. Male and female babies treated differently from birth e.g. girls dressed in pink, boys in blue. People repeat behaviour if rewarded and don’t if punished, in terms of gender
behaviour this means boys more likely to be rewarded for ‘male’ behaviour in society; girls for ‘female’ behaviour, e.g. Boys play fight “Aren’t they strong boys”; Girls play fight “That’s not very nice”.
Social learning theory says that children imitate behaviour that they observe in people similar to themselves, in this case, the same gender. E.g. girls see their mum as a role model and boys their dad. Behaviour that is seen as relevant is more likely to be imitated.
Girls see their mum doing the cooking and housework want to be like their mum and imitate the behaviour. Likewise, if boys see their dad cleaning the car, they imitate this behaviour.
Evaluation
Supporting evidence
Smith & Lloyd asked pp’s to babysit child at a doctors surgery. They found pp’s were more likely to offer the baby a hammer rattle if dressed as
a boy than if the baby was dressed as a girl.
Bandura, Ross and Ross found that children do imitate same sex role models and imitate aggressive behaviour.
The learning approach studies observable behaviour that is testable, making it scientific and objective. The principles of operant conditioning
and observational learning can be seen in animal studies which take place in lab settings. This means it is replicable and reliable
Opposing evidence
Lab study evidence is limited, it may be that behaviour displayed in a lab is due to demand characteristics e.g. in Bandura, Ross and Ross children were heard to say ‘that’s the doll I had to hit’
Many cultures have similar patterns in gender behaviour; if learning was the only explanation this should be different across cultures due to
differences in environment
New born babies show differences that cannot have been learned e.g. girls more sensitive to noise, maintain eye contact which suggest differences in communication
Different explanation
The psychodynamic approach says that gender occurs through successful resolution of the Oedipus complex. Children need to identify with the same sex parent in order to learn their gender.
The biological approach says that we are born male or female, that gender is fixed from birth. If we inherit a X chromosome from both parents, we are born female, if a Y is inherited from the father, then the child is born male.
Application
The learning approach teaches us that gender stereotypes can affect behaviour.
The theme of unit 2 is explaining how children learn their gender. The learning approach uses social learning theory and operant conditioning to
explain this.
According to the learning approach all behaviour is learned through experiences and interaction with the environment.
It does not consider genetic influences or sex differences between males and females. Any sex differences down to learning experiences.
Operant conditioning explains that gender behaviour is shaped through reinforcement and punishment. Male and female babies treated differently from birth e.g. girls dressed in pink, boys in blue. People repeat behaviour if rewarded and don’t if punished, in terms of gender
behaviour this means boys more likely to be rewarded for ‘male’ behaviour in society; girls for ‘female’ behaviour, e.g. Boys play fight “Aren’t they strong boys”; Girls play fight “That’s not very nice”.
Social learning theory says that children imitate behaviour that they observe in people similar to themselves, in this case, the same gender. E.g. girls see their mum as a role model and boys their dad. Behaviour that is seen as relevant is more likely to be imitated.
Girls see their mum doing the cooking and housework want to be like their mum and imitate the behaviour. Likewise, if boys see their dad cleaning the car, they imitate this behaviour.
Evaluation
Supporting evidence
Smith & Lloyd asked pp’s to babysit child at a doctors surgery. They found pp’s were more likely to offer the baby a hammer rattle if dressed as
a boy than if the baby was dressed as a girl.
Bandura, Ross and Ross found that children do imitate same sex role models and imitate aggressive behaviour.
The learning approach studies observable behaviour that is testable, making it scientific and objective. The principles of operant conditioning
and observational learning can be seen in animal studies which take place in lab settings. This means it is replicable and reliable
Opposing evidence
Lab study evidence is limited, it may be that behaviour displayed in a lab is due to demand characteristics e.g. in Bandura, Ross and Ross children were heard to say ‘that’s the doll I had to hit’
Many cultures have similar patterns in gender behaviour; if learning was the only explanation this should be different across cultures due to
differences in environment
New born babies show differences that cannot have been learned e.g. girls more sensitive to noise, maintain eye contact which suggest differences in communication
Different explanation
The psychodynamic approach says that gender occurs through successful resolution of the Oedipus complex. Children need to identify with the same sex parent in order to learn their gender.
The biological approach says that we are born male or female, that gender is fixed from birth. If we inherit a X chromosome from both parents, we are born female, if a Y is inherited from the father, then the child is born male.
Application
The learning approach teaches us that gender stereotypes can affect behaviour.