Little Jimmy is watching television with his parents. He notices that when a person on the television says a mean thing, his mother frowns and his father laughs. Which theory of gender development suggests that Little Jimmy might start teasing his baby sister?

Question

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The social cognitive theory emphasizes the role of observational learning and cognition in the acquisition of gender roles. Little Jimmy may observe his mother and father's different reactions to meanness, and through cognitive processes, come to associate meanness with laughter and frowning with disapproval. He may then imitate his father's behavior and start teasing his sister. The biological and evolutionary theories are more focused on innate biological differences between genders, while the humanistic theory emphasizes the importance of individual choice and free will in gender development.

Little Jimmy Is Watching Television with His Parents