As it is sometimes found that children are more likely to imitate same-sex models than opposite-sex models, they are also reinforced more when they do so. Around the age of six or seven years, children begin to pay more attention to same-sex models; this is when gender consistency develops. And so, by observing the role-modes, behaviours are modelled and imitated by children.
Bandura (1961) found that children tend to pay more attention and imitate to the same sex role-models, which means that boys would copy men and girls would copy women. Once gender appropriate behaviour is displayed, it is positively reinforced i.e. by giving praise and attention. This reinforcement is operant conditioning thus gender-appropriate behaviour is reproduced by the motivation of the