Social Theories

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Social Theories

• The process of learning your role

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Behaviorism

• Operant conditioning
• Reinforcement/punishment
• We learn by the consequences of our behaviors.
• Book p.117 on

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Albert Bandura

• Observational Learning aka Social Cognitive
  theory
• Aka Social Learning Theory

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4 Principles of Observational Learning

• People can learn by observing the behavior of
  others the outcomes of those behaviors. They
  dont need to try everything for themselves.
• Learning can occur without a change in behavior.
  Can learn something w/out displaying it.

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Continued

• Reinforcement plays a role in learning. Primarily
  by affecting performance.
• Cognitive processes play a role in learning. Our
  expectations matter.

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Effective Models

• 1. Competent people.
• 2. Power prestige.
• 3. Stereotypical gender roles.
• 4. Relevant to observer.
• All make it more likely they will be imitated.

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Can young children model?

• Bussey Bandura (2004)
• Children aged 2 to 5
• Watched adult male/female do different behaviors
• Behaviors not previously gender-typed

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Results

• Girls were 2x as likely to imitate the woman than
  the man
• Boys were 2x as likely to imitate the man
• Other studies have shown children as young as 9
  months can imitate an action a full day later

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Parents also guide choices

• Parents use gender typical preferences in
  selecting activities and toys
• Other adults are even more stereotypical in toy
  choices than parents (Campenni, 1999).

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Other influences

• Peers exert strong pressure to act your sex
• Heavier TV viewers are into more stereotypical
  behavior
• Maternal employment is associated w/ fewer
  stereotypes in both sexes

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Evaluation of Social Cog Theory

• Theory can be tested
• Some support, rest inconclusive
• Children model both sexes

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Cognitive Developmental Theory

• Lawrence Kohlberg

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Gender-typing-3 concepts

• 1. gender labeling
• 2. gender identity
• 3. gender constancy

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Develop some sense of self age 1

Cant consistently label until 2

Cant even gender label themselves

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However

• When infants watch other infants dressed as boys
  or girls, observe their own sex more even at age
  1
• When dressed neutrally, the infants could still
  tell, but the adults couldnt

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Gender Identity

• At 2 most can state if they are boys or girls
• At 2.5, can classify pictures according to gender
  
• By age 3 may be able to discriminate anatomic
  gender differences

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Gender Constancy

• By age 36 months may have firm identity
• By age 4 or 5, develop concept of gender
  constancy
• Meaning you are your gender for life

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Gender Constancy

• The idea that gender does not change despite
  superficial changes in appearance or behavior
• You are a girl whether you are in a dress or
  pants

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Gender Stability

• Ones gender is a permanent feature
• Children may act rigidly however seemingly for
  fear of changing their gender

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Cross Cultural studies

• U.S., Samoa, Nepal, Belize and Kenya have found
  that these concepts emerge in the order
  presented.
• Children may achieve gender constancy earlier
  than Kohlberg thought
• Some get it at age 3 or 4

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Cognitive Developmental Theory

• Children cognitively develop a gender identity
• Then try to match behavior to it
• SLT children come to a gender identity because
  they model gender behaviors
• Then conform to the social role of gender

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Evaluation Assumptions

• Can be tested
• 1. gender typing is dependent on gender constancy
• 2. Kids value same gender activities once they
  get constancy.
• 3. criticism never explains why kids use gender
  for classification in the lst place

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Problems w/ Cog Dev Theory

• Gender constancy is proposed as the basis for
  developing gender knowledge
• Not substantiated
• Also, suggests that gender development ends in
  early adolescence
• But flexibility increases in late adolescence

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Gender Schema Theory

• Extension of cog dev theory
• special schemata related to gender

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Children with gender schemata

• Remember gender consistent information better
  than inconsistent information
• Has been shown to affect how people interpret
  information

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Flexibility

• Girls more flexible than boys in adolescence
• Allow more flexibility in activity preference for
  themselves
• Tolerance for it in others

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Manly Men

• In male adolescents, inflexibility increases as
  h.s. graduation nears
• Older men w/ little gender inflexibility in their
  own roles also show little toward women

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Evaluation of schema

• Explains why social perceptions are structured on
  gender
• Considerable research support

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Gender Schema

• Rather nicely explains the cognitive organization
  surrounding gender issues
• In preschoolers, did predict m/f gender typed
  behaviors
• However, gender knowledge may not be coherent
  enough to be called a schema

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Overriding conclusion

• Some predictions confirmed on all of theories
• Some predictions not supported
• Complex process that remains largely unexplained

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Gender Identity disorder

• Children who display cross-gender behaviors
• Reject their own gender identity
• Boys 6x more likely to receive a referral

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GID in adults

• Transsexuals seek gender reassignment
• Feel trapped in the body of their own sex
• NOT homosexuality

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Meanwhile, working on genetics of all this

• Gender orientation (gender identity) might be as
  biological as
• Sexual orientation
• Transsexuals biological and social influences
  saying youre a guy, but you still dont feel
  that way-why not?

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That is,

• Homosexuality is a reversal of the gender of the
  people to whom one is attracted
• Transsexuality is a reversal of who you feel you
  are