Social Learning Theory as applied to gender development

Social Learning Theory (STL) - learning behaviour through classical and operant conditioning. This involves association and reinforcement respectively. However Bandura pointed out that assocaiation and direct reinforcement alone couldn't explain the complexity of human behaviour. Bandura proposed that gender role development is the result of learning from social agents who model and reinforce gender role behaviour.

Indirect Reinforcement - Children observe the behaviour of others and learn of the consequences of the behaviour (Vicarious reinforcement). Children witness many examples of gender behaviour at home and at school as well as on television and in films. By observing the consequences of such gender behaviours, children gradually learn something about what is appropriate behaviour in the world around. Thus they learn the behaviours (through observation), and they also learn whether and when such behaviours are worth repeating (through vicarious reinforcement).This vicarious reinforcement is vital. Although boys and girls may observe the characteristic behaviours of both sexes, they are only likely to repeat behaviours of people they identify with. Therefore girls are more likely to perform behaviours they see performed by other girls and women. Boys may learn a great deal about the homemaking role through reported observation of their mothers but they are less likely to…