Behavioral and social-cognitive learning theorists emphasize how a child's gender development is influenced by the messages he or she is exposed to and the way they are treated by adults. Describe some of these influences and their possible consequences

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Gender socialization begins at birth as parents and other adults treat boys and girls differently.
• Adults respond to the same baby differently when they do not know the sex and the child is dressed in opposite-sex clothing.
• Parents, teachers, and other adults convey their beliefs and expectations about gender even when they are entirely unaware that they are doing so.
• When parents believe that boys are naturally better at math or sports and that girls are naturally better at English, they unwittingly communicate those beliefs by how they respond to a child's success or failure.
• Both sexes tend to lose interest in activities that are supposedly not natural for them, even when they all start out with equal abilities.