SLT, Culture And Media On Gender Development Flashcards
Explain the influence of role models in gender development.
We pay most attention to those we regard as role models, including family members, teachers and people in the media. Boys and girls are more likely to imitate behaviour of people their own gender.
What are the series of events in SLT?
Observation Vicarious reinforcement (Mediational processes) Imitation Direct reinforcement
What are the mediational processes?
- Attention - how close did they pay attention to the behaviour
- Retention - child must remember the behaviour
- Motor reproduction - child must believe they can replicate the behaviour
- Motivation - must want to behave that way, influenced by vicarious reinforcement
Give SCIP of SLT.
S: film clip shown to boys and girls picking gender neutral fruit, apple or pear. They chose the fruit that they saw their gendered child choose. Also can explain changes in gendered behaviour in western culture better than biological explanations.
C: some research says we need direct tuition rather than imitation. Martin et al: boys played with toys labelled ‘boys toys’ even after seeing girls play with them and didn’t play with ‘girls toys’ even after seeing boys play w them. Labelling deemed direct tuition.
I: slightly reductionist as it places no importance on chromosomes or hormones when there is a lot of evidence saying they’re important e.g. David Reimer. Better explanation is more inclusive e.g. Biosocial explanation.
Explain research into differences in the effect of culture in gender.
Mead: in papau New Guinea there were considerable differences in gender roles. In one group women were dominant and organised village life whereas men were passive and emotionally dependent. In other groups men and women shared similar roles: men and women were both power seeking and aggressive and in another men and women were both gentle and caring. Malinowski found in one trouble women would capture and rape men from other tribes and this would increase status.
Explain research into similarities in the influence of culture on gender.
Buss found similarities in mate preferences across 37 countries. Men preferred youth and physical attractiveness whereas women preferred health and resources in men. William and Best found similarities across 30 cultures on what characteristics were masculine and what was feminine. Males = dominant and independent, women = sociable and caring.
Evaluate the influence of culture on gender development.
S: Mead and Malinowski, Buss, William and best.
C, Mead and Malinowski: sweeping generalisations over short period of time, lacks temporal validity, research bias, only shown an interpretation of gender through her own perspective- roles may have been misinterpreted so results invalid.
C, William and best: participant observation is biased, retrospective data, lacks temporal validity, criticised for going ‘native’, used university students who share same subcultures so exposed to same international media accompanying university education.
I: ethnocentric - gave an imposed etic meaning a culture specific idea wrongly imposed on another culture. Made assumptions based on western cultural norms so may have misunderstood gender.
P: sheds light on nature nature debate, helps psychologists see relative influence of biology and social factors. Better understood from interactionist point of view.
Explain the influence of media on gender development.
Media influences the acquisition, shaping and maintenance of gender roles. According to SLT the media creates role models children may identify with and want to imitate.
Describe research into the effect of media on gender development.
Furnham and farragher: men in autonomous professional roles, women in domestic familial roles.
Town in Canada had tv introduced. ‘Notel’ had no TV, ‘unitel’ had one channel, ‘multitel’. Children asked how frequent or appropriate an action was for a man or woman to determine their gender roles. Children with access to TV had more stereotyped views than those who didn’t. After 2 years ‘notel’ was found to have a dramatic increase in stereotyping, specifically in boys.
Evaluate the role of media in gender development.
S: studies
C: research is correlational so no cause and effect. Williams had no control over extraneous variables.
I: deterministic : children passively accepting media implies the hypodermic syringe model that we are simply injected w ideas we absorb. Cognitive approach says we actively select and interpret messages in the media.
P: media can break down stereotypes if they make them. ‘Freestyle’ TV series depicting people in untraditional roles. Questionnaire showed children’s perspectives became less stereotyped. Implications for economy e.g. Female scientists
