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Psychology 320: Psychology of Gender and Sex Differences

November 13

Lecture 24

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Office Hour InvitationsNovember 15, 11:30-2:30, Kenny 3102

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Reminders

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1. The peer mentors (Derek, Natalie) will hold a tutorial today:

When? 5:00-6:00Where? Kenny 2101 Note: Today’s tutorial will be a Q&A session related

to all course content up to this point and study/exam preparation strategies.

2. Application intake for Psychology 417A (Psychology and Developing Societies, international service

learning course with placements in Africa, summer 2014) will close on November 17.

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For information about the course, visit: http://www.students.ubc.ca/global/learning-abroad/ international-service-learning/current-programs/psych-417-developing-societies/.

A little R&R ….(Review and Reflect)

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Social Learning and Cognitive Theories of Gender Development

1. What theories illustrate the social learning view? (continued)

2. What theories illustrate the cognitive view?

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By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:

1. describe the socialization theory of gender development.

2. discuss differential patterns of reinforcement and punishment for females and males.

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4. review evidence that supports the social role theory of gender development.

3. describe the social role theory of gender development.

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2. Socialization (Operant Conditioning) Theory

Maintains that the characteristics of females and males diverge because they are reinforced and

punished for exhibiting different characteristics.

What theories illustrate the social learning view? (continued)

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Many studies (e.g., Lamb, Easterbrooks, & Holden, 1980; Raag & Rackliff, 1998; Zanh-Waxler & Planichka, 2004) support this theory.

Collectively, these studies demonstrate that:

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(a) children are more likely to be reinforced for gender-role congruent activities than gender-role

incongruent activities.

(b) children are more likely to be punished for gender-role incongruent activities than gender-role

congruent activities.

(c) children’s beliefs regarding potential reinforcements and punishments influence their choice of activities.

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(d) older children are more likely than younger children to intentionally punish gender-role incongruent activities.

(e) boys are more likely than girls to be intentionally and physically punished for gender-role incongruent activities.

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As children mature, they begin to regulate their actions through internal reinforcement and punishment (e.g., self-approval vs. self-disapproval).

Boys display stronger self-sanctions against gender role incongruence than girls (Bussey & Bandura, 1992).

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3. Social Role Theory

Maintains that the characteristics of females and males diverge because they are assigned to social roles (e.g., domestic roles, occupational roles) that require distinct attributes.

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According to this theory:

“women and men seek to accommodate sex-typical roles by acquiring the specific skills and resources linked to successful role performance and by adapting their social behaviour to role requirements” (Eagly & Wood, 1999; also see Diekman & Eagly, 2008).

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Accordingly, females are more likely than males to develop expressive characteristics because they are assigned to roles (e.g., homemaker, teacher, nurse) that require these attributes.

Males are more likely than females to develop instrumental characteristics because they are assigned to roles (e.g., executive, politician, military

officer) that require these attributes.

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Consistent with this theory:

(a) females are more likely than males to be employed in occupations that require expressivity; males are more likely than females to be employed in occupations that require instrumentality:

Occupation Percent Female

Lawyer 32

Police officer 14

Securities salesperson 29

Chief executive 24

Marketing manager 41

Social worker 80

Counsellor 70

Preschool/kindergarten teacher 98

Librarian 82

Child-care provider 95

Registered nurse 92

Secretary 97

Wait staff 78

Cleaner 90

Percent Females in Distinct Occupations (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005; Hegewisch et al., 2010)

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(b) people are more likely to ascribe expressive characteristics to traditionally “female” social roles and instrumental characteristics to traditionally “male” social roles:

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Employee Homemaker

Female Communal Agentic

3.313.69

4.223.02

Male Communal Agentic

3.293.40

4.112.90

Mean Ratings of Females and Males in Varied Occupations

(Eagly & Steffen, 1984)

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What theories illustrate the cognitive view?

• The cognitive view emphasizes the development of gender-related cognitions.

• According to this view, “children are neither pushed by their biological desires nor pulled by external

rewards and punishments. Instead, children are active learners, attempting to make sense of the social environment” (Kohlberg, 1966).

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By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:

1. describe the socialization theory of gender development.

2. discuss differential patterns of reinforcement and punishment for females and males.

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4. review evidence that supports the social role theory of gender development.

3. describe the social role theory of gender development.