Environmental Influences on Gender Typing

1

• Environmental Influences on Gender Typing
• Social Learning Theory
• Gender typing results from
• imitation of same-sex models and reinforcement
  for this behavior

2

• Parental Behavior
• On average, differences in parental treatment of
  boys and girls are not large
• Does not mean that parental behavior is
  unimportant because
• Younger children receive more direct training in
  gender roles than older children
• Some parents probably practice differential
  treatment more intensely than others

3

• Parents create different environments for boys
  and girls beginning in infancy (e.g., bedrooms,
  toys)

4

• Parents give toys that stress action and
  competition to boys (e.g., guns, cars, tools,
  footballs)
• Give toys that emphasize nurturance, cooperation,
  and physical attractiveness to girls (e.g.,
  dolls, tea sets, jewelry, jump ropes)

5

• Parents reinforce independence in boys
• React more positively when boys demand attention,
  run and climb, or try to take toys from others
• Parents reinforce closeness/dependency in girls
• More likely to direct play activities, provide
  help, encourage participation in household tasks,
  and refer to emotions

6

• Fathers tend to treat boys and girls more
  differently than do mothers
• Engage in more physically stimulating play with
  infant sons than daughters
• Less likely to give girl toys (e.g., dolls) to
  sons