Chapter 14: Behavioural/Social Learning Approach: Relevant Research

Question 1

What are the reasons for gender roles

Answer 1

biological differences and lifelong process of gender-role socialization

Question 2

How are gender roles acquired and maintained?

Answer 2

observational learning and operant conditioning

Question 3

traditional approach to gender

Answer 3

continuum of agency (masculinity) to communion (femininity)

Question 4

androgyny model

Answer 4

masculinity and feminity are independent traits with the most balance people being both masculineand feminine

Question 5

masculinity model

Answer 5

if males go out of the confines of the typical male persona, they will lose mental health

Question 6

congruence model

Answer 6

masculine men and feminine women are most well-adjusted

Question 7

Who are the preferable partners in interpersonal relationships?

Answer 7

feminine and androgynous people

Question 8

Why are androgynous people preferable partners?

Answer 8

more aware of and able to express romantic feelings

Question 9

Which gender communicates the worst?

Answer 9

male

Question 10

Bandura’s Four Step Model

Answer 10

1. attending to an aggressive action
2. remembering information
3. enacting what is seen
4. expecting that rewards will be forth coming

Question 11

Relationship between viewing aggression and aggressive behaviour?

Answer 11

Viewing aggressive actions/events increases likelihood of acting aggressively
(ie. video games)

Question 12

locus of control

Answer 12

how people explain the reasoning behind what happens to them

Question 13

Traits associated with agency

Answer 13

independence, assertiveness, control
-> masculinity

Question 14

communion

Answer 14

attachment, cooperation, interpersonal connection
-> femininity

Question 15

What assumption does the androgyny model challenge?

Answer 15

a person’s gender should match his/her gender type

Question 16

How do children learn aggression?

Answer 16

imitating aggressive models aka. rehearsing aggression

Question 17

Learned helplessness

Answer 17

people learn the feeling of helplessness in an initial untrollable setting and can’t break out of the association in subsequent situations

Question 18

external locus of control

Answer 18

people believe that what happens to them and others is outside of their control

Question 19

internal locus of control

Answer 19

people can affect what happens to them

Question 20

Which locus of control recieves better grades in school?

Answer 20

internal locus of control

Question 21

How do those with internal locus of control think of school/academics?

Answer 21

they themselves are responsible for achievements
tend to attribute high test scores to own abilities or studying hard

Question 22

How do behaviourists explain gender roles

Answer 22

lifelong process of gender-role socialization

Question 23

high masculinity, high femininity

Answer 23

androgynous

Question 24

high masculinity, low femininity

Answer 24

masculine

Question 25

high femininity, low masculinity

Answer 25

feminine

Question 26

low masculinity, low femininity

Answer 26

undifferentiated

Question 27

MMPI on gender scale

Answer 27

scoring too far on the wrong side of the Masculinity-Femininity Scale was indicative of psychological disturbances

Question 28

Effects of the pressure to act masculine:

Answer 28

Stress
Poor health
An ever-present fear of being ridiculed or failing to meet a “macho” standard
A need to reassert one’s masculinity
Risk-taking
Aggression
Working excessively long hours
Failing to seek help for medical problems
Poor academic performance

Question 29

Effects of the Pressure to Act Feminine

Answer 29

Pressure to be the perfect, traditional mother and sometimes sacrifice career opportunities to do so
Lowered sense of well-being and self-esteem
Being overly concerned about one’s appearance
Psychological disorders (ex. Eating disorders)

Question 30

What is the long-term solution to pressure to act in a gender-appropriate manner?

Answer 30

removing the pressure

Question 31

what is the short-term solution to the pressure to act in a gender-appropriate manner?

Answer 31

parents and friends should become more aware of the subtle ways that they reward and punish behaviour they consider gender-appropriate or inappropriate

Question 32

what do unmitigated communion and agency involve?

Answer 32

taking the traits of agency and communion to the extreme
being low on the other dimension

Question 33

unmitigated communion

Answer 33

• involves becoming so concerned with taking care of others that they sacrifice their needs and interests
• difficulty in assertion
• linked to high depression levels

Question 34

unmitigated agency

Answer 34

being insensitive toward the needs of others, narcissistic, and self-focused

Question 35

high levels of unmitigated agency

Answer 35

• strained social interactions
• few close friends
• do not fare well physically/psychologically when facing medical problems

Question 36

how does Rotter’s theory of generalized expectancies explain health-related behaviours with locus of control?

Answer 36

if you feel health is a matter of luck, external locus
if you feel you can control your health through diet/exercise, internal locus of control

Question 36

What actions hold out attention best?

Answer 36

intense actions

Question 37

Are people with psychological disorders more likely to have an internal or external locus of control?

Answer 37

external

Question 38

Give an example of how locus of control is related to depression:

Answer 38

study of suicidal patients found that many described themselves in more external terms as they became increasingly suicidal

Question 39

What is the most widely researched aspect of Rotter’s social learning theory

Answer 39

notion of individual differences in generalized expectancies/locus of control