Social Learning Theory VS Cognitive Learning Theory

According to chapter three in “Intimate Relationships, Marriages & family,” the social learning theory emphasizes that boys develop “maleness” and girls develop “femaleness” through exposure to different influences, including media, parents, teachers, etc. Children are reinforced by modeling the behaviors of others of their sex. Children learn gender differences by observing the behaviors of others and the outcome of those specific behaviors. They learn what is appropriate and acceptable behavior of their particular sex and what is not. It also explains that children are aware of these gender role differences by the time they are one year old, and aware of the differences in behavior, play, and dress among opposite sexes by age three.
On the other hand, the cognitive developmental theory suggests that gender can’t be learned until a child reaches a certain age of intellectual development. It proposes that children first begin to realize roles and differences among sexes between ages three and five. However, this theory focuses on cognitive aspects like knowledge of stereotypes, and how to apply them.
I side with the social learning theory. I think that children learn gender at a very young age. With all the influences on the child’s life dealing with gender it seems almost impossible to assume that children don’t understand. Girl’s know that they are usually dressed in pinks, purples, etc. and boys in blue, green, etc. They understand that boys and girls are different and that they behave in different ways.