MASCULINITY AND FEMININITY IN THE PRESCHOOL YEARS

Abstract

To test the validity of findings about the nature of masculinity and femininity in the preschool years reported by Vroegh, Jenkin, Black, and Handrich, Most Masculine and Least Masculine boys and Most Feminine and Least Feminine girls were selected from teachers' pair comparisons and rated by teachers on 60 personality variables. Regression weights from the earlier study were used to calculate discriminant scores for each child. A 2-way analysis of variance between discriminant scores for MM and LM boys rated by 2 groups of teachers was computed. The same analysis was computed for girls' scores. The findings of the earlier study were found to be valid, indicating that MM preschool boys tend to be more extraverted, competent, and socially adjusted than LM boys and that MF preschool girls tend to be more socially adjusted, competent, and introverted than LF girls.