AQA · A-Level · Psychology
Course version: 7182-2025 · Exams from 2027
Social learning theory as applied to gender development. The influence of…
Full specification wording
Gender: Social learning theory as applied to gender development. The influence of culture and media on gender roles.
Bandura says gender behaviour is learned, not matured into.
Checked against the AQA 7182-2025 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 6
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Bandura says gender behaviour is learned, not matured into. Children observe models, especially same-sex ones, and imitate what they see rewarded, which is vicarious reinforcement; direct tuition ('good girls don't shout') and differential reinforcement do the rest, mediated by attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. Smith and Lloyd (1978) dressed the same babies as boys or girls and found adults handed 'boys' a hammer and 'girls' a doll, so differential treatment starts before the child acts at all. Culture and media supply the models: Mead found neighbouring Papua New Guinea tribes with very different gender norms, and Williams (1986) found children in a Canadian town called Notel became markedly more stereotyped in their views within two years of television arriving.
What earns the marks
- Modelling, imitation and identification with same-sex models set out as the core mechanism.
- Vicarious reinforcement and differential reinforcement distinguished, with an example of each.
- The mediational processes named: attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation.
- Evidence of differential treatment cited, such as Smith and Lloyd's (1978) baby-dressing study.
- Culture and media treated as sources of models, with named evidence such as Mead's cross-cultural work or Williams's (1986) natural experiment in Notel.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Describing social learning theory in general terms about aggression and never applying a single process to gender.
Confusing vicarious reinforcement with direct reinforcement.
Put it right: Vicarious means the MODEL is rewarded and the child observes it.
Claiming media studies prove that television causes stereotyping, when the evidence is largely correlational and children may choose stereotyped content.
Omitting the mediational processes, which is exactly what separates social learning theory from plain behaviourism.
Exam tips
- Application questions on this topic almost always give a scenario with a parent, sibling or advert; name the specific process at work in each line of the stem.
- Use culture and media as AO3 as well as AO1: cross-cultural variation is evidence FOR learning and against pure biology.
- Keep one biological counter-argument ready, such as prenatal testosterone or atypical chromosome patterns, to avoid a one-sided discussion.
Try the lesson
The start of the Gender: Social learning theory as applied to gender development. The influence of culture and media on gender roles. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which of the following best describes how vicarious reinforcement contributes to gender development according to social learning theory?
Listen
Bandura says gender behaviour is learned, not matured into. Children observe models, especially same-sex ones, and imitate what they see rewarded, which is vicarious reinforcement; direct tuition ('good girls don't shout') and differential reinforcement do the rest, mediated by attention, retention, reproduction and motivation. Smith and Lloyd (1978) dressed the same babies as boys or girls and found adults handed 'boys' a hammer and 'girls' a doll, so differential treatment starts before the child acts at all. Culture and media supply the models: Mead found neighbouring Papua New Guinea tribes with very different gender norms, and Williams (1986) found children in a Canadian town called Notel became markedly more stereotyped in their views within two years of television arriving. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Modelling, imitation and identification with same-sex models set out as the core mechanism. Vicarious reinforcement and differential reinforcement distinguished, with an example of each. The mediational processes named: attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation. Evidence of differential treatment cited, such as Smith and Lloyd's (1978) baby-dressing study. Exam tip: Application questions on this topic almost always give a scenario with a parent, sibling or advert; name the specific process at work in each line of the stem.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
modelling and imitation
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mediational processes
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cultural variation in gender roles
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See every definition
- modelling and imitation
- Children observe models, especially same-sex ones, and imitate what they see rewarded.
- mediational processes
- Attention, retention, reproduction and motivation mediate learning, separating social learning theory from plain behaviourism.
- cultural variation in gender roles
- Culture and media supply the models, and Mead found neighbouring Papua New Guinea tribes with very different gender norms.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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