Gender‐typing1 in young children: Preferences, behaviour and cultural differences

Abstract

One hundred and sixty‐one 4‐4 1/2‐year‐old children (82 girls and 79 boys) from Cambridge (UK) and Budapest (Hungary) participated in a cross‐cultural study of the processes of gender differentiation. Children were individually interviewed to assess toy preference, awareness of stereotypes and sex‐role preference. Focal child observations were carried out during free play in preschool (120 observation periods over eight separate 30‐minute sessions per child). Behavioural categories included activities, use of specified toys, sex of playmates, and social interactions with peers and teachers. Variables which differentiated girls and boys were summed within each category to give sex‐typical measures.Girls and boys scored in the expected direction on the several measures, but girls in both locations were less stereotyped than boys in their toy and sex‐role preference. Intercorrelations among the gender‐typing measures were stronger for ‘masculine’ variables than for ‘feminine’ ones. Further, play activities and toys were more clearly differentiated than social interactions. Consistent with previous studies, relations between measures of gender‐typing were at most moderate, supporting a multidimensional approach. In contrast to previous reports, we found short‐term individual stability of same‐sex preference and contrary to expectations, sex‐ segregation was not related to sex‐differentiated behavioural styles. Comparing the samples, there were no differences in toy, sex‐role, or playmate preference, but Budapest children were significantly more ‘masculine’ and less ‘feminine’ on the behavioural measures.