social Learning Theory as applied to gender development - Evaluations

Evidence to support modelling - Bandura's initial source of evidence for both learning and modelling was the bobo doll studies(1961), which demonstarted the effecs of an adult model on children's aggressive behaviour. These effects have also been demonstarted for gender. For example, a study by Perry and Bussy (1979), showed film clips to children aged eight and nine. In the film boys and girls were seen selecting an apple or pear, both gender neutral items. later the children were given a choice of fruit. Boys selected the fruit they had seen another boy selecting and the same for girls. This shows that children model gender behaviours they have observed in gender-appropriate models. Howver, in this study the children only modelled same-sex behaviour as long as the behaviour was not counter to stereotypes (e.g. a man wearing a dress). So it seems that the effect of modelling are limited by exisiting stereotypes.

Direct Tuition may be more effecitve than modelling- Researcg has shown that children do not always model the behaviour of a same-sex model and that direct tuition may be more important. For example, Martin et al (1995) found that pre-school boys played with toys labelled 'boys' toys' -direct tuition- They did this even if they saw girls playing with…