Social Role Theory Essay

Imagine this, a mother lets her child pick a toy from the toy aisle. He or she gazes at the many types of toys that stand in front of him or her. So many choices, but only one can be bought. Many characteristics of the toys are taken under consideration in the decision process. The Sharp crisp edges of the box, the assortment of colors, the font of the toy’s name on the box, and even the position of the toy in the aisle helps the child decide on which toy is best. However, not all decisions are made by just looking at how good the toy looks. Children are good for observing their surroundings and things that are going on in the world. In the textbook “The Science of Psychology” by Laura A. King, one of the chapters described the stages of human

In a research article called “The Influence of Gender and Ethnicity on Children’s Inferences About Toy Choice” a statement was said that these roles provide children with information about how members of each sex should look, act and think according to their gender cultures (Lam, Leman 2003). The men work and support their family financially. The women take care of the house and the children. In “The Science of Psychology”, a theory was expressed in one of the chapters. The social role theory is the theory that acknowledges that there are physical differences between sexes, and that led men and women to perform different tasks (King 2014). Children pick up on these so-called roles and acted upon them. In a YouTube channel named Advert Enticement, various interviews were done with children about their views on two different dolls. One doll was a girl and one doll was a boy. Many questions were asked about the gender roles. Questions like ‘Which doll likes to clean the house’, ‘which doll goes to work and plays the bills’, and ‘Which doll takes care of the babies’ were answered. At the end of the interview it was clear that children believe that men and women have completely different tastes. Men are more masculine, than women. So, question was asked which side of the toy store is girls and which side is boys? The side with the darker colors and physical toys like action figures and toy

At a young age, children rely on observational learning to acquire skills. This learning style is works by observing and replication another person’s behavior (King, 2014). Much of the skills a child learns are from their parents. In a research article called “Parental Toy Choice Stereotyping and its Effects on Child Toy Preference and Sex-Role Typing” it was said that, “toys are designed and made to appeal to both children and their parents” (Peretti, Sydney 1984). During infancy, it is up to the parent to pick the toys, this process conditions on gender and social-role identities. The views of the parent pass on to the child, which affects the type of toy they