Gender - Social Influences on Gender

Question 1

What kind of conditioning can explain parental influence?

Answer 1

Operant Conditioning

Question 2

How does Operant conditioning work in relation to gendered behaviours?

Answer 2

If the behaviour is reinforced it is more likely to be repeated, if it is punished it is less likely to be repeated.

Question 3

What influences how parents raise their children?

Answer 3

Their own gender Schemas

Question 4

What kinds of behaviours would parents reinforces or discourage in boys? How would they do this?

Answer 4

Reinforce aggressive and physical behaviours, by praise, spending time with and buying gender appropriate toys.
Discourage crying behaviour by belittling or withdrawing time spent.

Question 5

What kinds of behaviours would parents reinforces or discourage in girl? How would they do this?

Answer 5

Reinforce kind and caring behaviour, by praise, spending time with and buying gender appropriate toys.
Discourage rough play by telling off or withdrawing time spent.

Question 6

What two studies are associated with influence of parents?

Answer 6

Smith and Lloyd (1978)

Fagot et al (1992)

Question 7

What happened in Smith and Lloyd (1978)?

Answer 7

Baby X. Adults played with baby in gender neutral clothes, given gendered name. Found adults played more physically with boys, bouncing, jiggling. Toys offered were stereotyped.

Question 8

Evaluate Smith and Lloyd (1978).

Answer 8

Study has temporal validity, conducted in 1978, view on gendered behaviour have changed.

Question 9

What happened in Fagot et al (1992)?

Answer 9

Children in traditional families used gendered labels earlier and showed more gender stereotyping by 4 than children from egalitarian families.

Question 10

What theory can explain the influence of the media?

Answer 10

Social Learning Theory

Question 11

How does social learning theory work in relation to gendered behaviours?

Answer 11

Acquire behaviour though observing then imitating what is seen in the media.

Question 12

When are people more likely to imitate behaviour?

Answer 12

If someone is rewarded for that behaviour.

If the person doing it is the same sex.

Question 13

What is it called when we are more likely to imitate behaviour if someone is rewarded for it?

Answer 13

Vicarious reinforcement

Question 14

How does the media portray males?

Answer 14

Independent and focused.

Question 15

How does the media portray females?

Answer 15

Dependent, emotional and unambitious.

Question 16

What happens to children who are more exposed to the media?

Answer 16

They tend to display more stereotyped attitudes towards gender roles.

Question 17

What two studies are associated with the influence of the media?

Answer 17

Williams (1985)

Johnston and Ettema (1982)

Question 18

What happens in Williams (1985)?

Answer 18

Canadian towns, Notel—unable to receive TV, Unitel—only 1 TV channel, Multitel—access to many TV channels. Notel + Unitel weaker gender stereotypes, epically for girls. Reassessed after introduced of TV in Notel, found views had become more gender stereotyped.

Question 19

Evaluate Williams (1985).

Answer 19

cannot establish cause + effect—must have another factor. E.g. Parental influence’s, cultural influences.

Question 20

What happened in Johnston and Ettema (1982)?

Answer 20

9-12 y/o, assessed before and after watching 26 episode of drama called Freestyle, designed to challenge gender stereotypes. Found significant reduction in stereotyping after watching.

Question 21

Why is it difficult for psychologists to study the influence of media on stereotypes?

Answer 21

Hard to find part of the world that doesn’t have access to the media due to resources like the internet.
Too many variables to draw a definitive conclusion. E.g. Parental influences, cultural influences.

Question 22

What are the two IDA’s relevant to social influences on gender?

Answer 22

Nature v Nurture

Socially Sensitive

Question 23

Why is social influences Nature v Nurture?

Answer 23

Parents and media influence children in terms of gender stereotyping, them show specific role models for each gender which differentiate from each other, children them learn them and imitate them through social learning theory and operant conditioning, which shows nurture as they are being influenced.

Question 24

Why are social influences Socially Sensitive?

Answer 24

Issues in society could arise because of gender stereotyping such as certain genders being told they can only fill certain roles in terms of careers, e.g. girls cannot be CEO’s, males cannot be carers.
Also women are taught to stay at home with the children and aspire to be a good mother and wife. Whereas men are taught that they don’t need to worry about child rearing and instead should focus on the career ladder.
Research such as Johnston and Ettema (1982) shows parents that when the media promotes positive gender stereotypes then children will not gender stereotype themselves as much.