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Karen J. Prager, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. Professor of Psychology and Program Head for Gender Studies Diplomate in Family Psychology The University of Texas at Dallas |
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More Information About Dr. Prager's work Processes in Couple Relationships Teaching and Professional Practice Selected Papers and Publications
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Behavioral Research Behaviorists are concerned with the application of learning principles to real-life problems. Gender Role Research: Question 1: Do gender stereotypes affect learning? What are gender stereotypes? "Shared sets of beliefs about purported qualities of females and males." Stereotypes:
Dimensions of Stereotypes Agentic Communal Question 2: If so, how? A. Through operant conditioning? Consequences of behavior Under what conditions will reinforcement differentially affect male & female behavior? (When that behavior is differentially reinforced depending upon the gender of the person performing the behavior). B. Through modeling and imitation Whose gender-role behavior are we likely to imitate? Who are we likely to resemble? C. Through generalized expectancies? Who is likely to be reinforced for what? What are the likely consequences of this behavior? For me, in particular? Question 3: Do "masculine-typed" and "feminine-typed" personality traits predict well-being? 3 theories 1. Congruence model 2. Androgyny model 3. Masculinity model S. Bem’s & J. Spence’s respective research programs: Combined these 2 dimensions and come up with 4 categories of individuals: 1. Androgynous 2. Masculine sex-typed 3. Feminine sex-typed 4. Undifferentiated Research support 1. Congruence model What types of research support it? What is the conclusion, according to Burger? 2. Androgyny model What types of research support it? What is the conclusion, according to Burger? 3. Masculinity model What types of research support it? What is the conclusion? Overall conclusions about personality sex-type and well-being? Question 4: Does personality sex-type predict interpersonal effectiveness? 1. Androgyny model Any research support? Who makes a good first impression? How does androgyny affect likeability? If so, what do androgynous people do that seems to contribute to their good first impressions? Which personality sex-types are likely not to be attracted to one another? Do they "grow on each other" over time? What kinds of research support exists to answer these questions? What kinds of behaviors, associated with personality sex-types, predict good, satisfying relationships? Aggression and Violence Bandura’s 4-step model – what has to happen in order for Person B to imitate aggressive behavior of Model A? 1. Attend 2. Remember 3. Enactment 4. Expectation of reinforcement for the behavior Research: Bandura & colleagues explored the question of whether children learn aggressive behavior through modeling and imitation. 1st: Bandura’s Research on Modeling: On children's modeling of aggressive behavior in adults. Used the Bobo doll: Children in 2 groups were exposed to 2 different conditions: in one, adults played with the doll how? In the other adults played how? When were children most likely to imitate the adult’s aggressive behavior? 2nd: Bandura’s research on learning through television viewing: The more TV children watch as children, the more? Or less? likely they are to engage in aggressive behavior as young adults (e.g., 19-20 years old). Or is there no effect? Are boys and girls affected differentially by T.V. viewing? Learned Helplessness Can people learn to be helpless? Can people learn that there’s no point in trying?Can this learning generalize from one situation (or cue) to another? Martin Seligman’s research on learned helplessness in dogs: What was the experimental situation? What was the result? What did Seligman & his colleagues conclude? Seligman’s research on people exposed to unpleasant noise: Did Seligman replicate his findings with the dogs? What happens if people are just told that they are helpless but never experience helplessness directly? What is the best policy for helping elderly individuals who need assistance with the daily tasks of living, according to research on learned helplessness? Rotter's influential I-E concept and scale: Locus of control refers to:Internal locus of control means? External locus of control means? Research suggests what about the relationship between locus of control and: age? authoritative parenting? authoritarianism? good health habits? contraceptive use? depression and self-blame? Although both external and internal orientations have their advantages, research suggests that more benefits accrue to those with an internal? or external? locus of control. |