Toy Preferences Research Articles

Are smelly toys more fun? Shelter dogs’ preferences for toys, scents, and scented toys

As dogs reside in shelters awaiting adoption, it is critical that they remain behaviorally healthy. A variety of enrichment strategies improve the welfare of shelter dogs, including object (usually in the form of toys) and scent enrichment. However, for these interventions to be enriching, dogs must engage with the items and their welfare be positively affected. Thus, by identifying dogs’ preferences, shelters can improve the function of their enrichment. Using a 15 min free operant preference assessment, an assessment in which the subject is given free access to a variety of items and the duration of their engagement with each item is recorded, we investigated 34 shelter dogs’ preferences for four different toys: a stuffed toy, tennis ball, Nylabone, and flying disc. We also investigated dog’ preferences for four scents: hotdog, peppermint, duck, and an unfamiliar dog. Finally, we applied the dog’s preferred scent to their most and least preferred toys to investigate whether adding their preferred scent would increase the amount of time they engaged with those items compared to unscented duplicates. During the toy preference assessment, we observed that dogs, on average, only interacted with toys 3.35 % of the 15 min session. However, we found that dogs engaged over eight times longer with the stuffed toy as compared to all other toys, F (1, 134) = 64.40, p <.001. There was a marginal effect of type during the scent assessment, F (3, 132) = 2.50, p =.062, but post hoc comparisons were not significant. When we applied each dog’s preferred scent to their most and least preferred toys, we found statistically significant main effects for preference, F (1, 132) = 54.95, p <.001, and scent, F (1, 132) = 7.16, p =.008, and a significant preference-by-scent interaction, F (1, 132) = 4.66, p =.033. The addition of scent increased engagement with both toys, such that dogs spent 4.2 and 13.7 times more seconds with their most and least preferred toys, respectively. In addition to our results aligning with prior research demonstrating that dogs prefer soft versus hard toys, these findings suggest that combining objects and scents can increase dogs’ engagement with enrichment and may be especially impactful when providing shelter dogs with less preferred objects, such as hard toys.

The effect of wooden toy differences on the perceptions of children with special education needs over time

Children who need special education have some characteristics different from those with normal development in the postnatal period. One of the common features with normal children is that they also need to play. The game has an important role in draining their inner energies, gaining experience and supporting their development in general. Among the many factors that will affect children's preferences, the largest share generally belongs to the features that determine the appearance of the toy. The most important criterion that determines the appearance characteristics of toys is the material. The dynamics of this study are that the mentally handicapped have the highest number among the educable disability groups, toys are also used as educational materials in this target group, and academic studies on the type of intellectual disability are quite limited. In this study, it was tried to determine whether the different wooden toy preferences of children with educable special education needs changed over time. From the data obtained by multiplying the number of people in the groups with the number of repetitions, it was tried to determine whether there is a relationship between the gender, age and disability ratio differences of the individuals and the number of wooden toy preferences. As a result, it has been determined that wooden toy preferences have changed more in girls than boys over time, and the number of preferences is inversely proportional to both age levels and disability rates.

Direct and indirect effects of mother's spatial ability on child's spatial ability: What role does the home environment play?

Individual differences in spatial thinking are predictive of children's math and science achievement and later entry into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Little is known about whether parent characteristics predict individual differences in children's spatial thinking. This study aims to understand whether, and to what extent, mother's intrinsic (i.e., mental rotation) and extrinsic (i.e., spatial scaling) spatial ability directly and indirectly, via the variation in home spatial environment, predicts children's intrinsic and extrinsic spatial ability. A total of 165 mothers and their 4-6-year-old children were recruited to participate in a remote video session with an experimenter. Mothers were administered a forced-choice Intrinsic Spatial Toy Preference Task gauging their preference for highly spatial versus less spatial toys and asked questions with the Home Intrinsic Spatial Environmental Questionnaire about the frequency with which they engage their child in spatial activities at home. Mothers completed a Mental Rotations Test and a Spatial Scaling Task adapted for adults. Children were administered the Picture Rotation Task, the Spatial Scaling Task, and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Structural equation modeling was used to examine direct and indirect, via home spatial environment and toy choices, influences of mother spatial ability on child spatial ability. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find direct, nor indirect, relations between mother and child spatial ability. These findings suggest that researchers should consider alternative conceptualizations of the early home spatial environment beyond the frequency of spatial play in the home. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The identification of factors that predict individual differences in children's spatial ability is important in order to maximize STEM learning outcomes. Data collection was conducted remotely rather than in traditional preschool or laboratory settings. Contrary to our pre-registered hypotheses, no significant relations between mother spatial ability, the early home spatial environment, and children's development of spatial skills were found. Future research should consider examining the amount of spatial language used in the home or the quality of parent-child interactions during spatial play as potential explanations for individual differences in children's spatial ability.

Preference of dogs towards feeding toys made of natural rubber, and their potential to improve canine behaviour: A study based on owners' observations

Improper feeding methods can be linked to canine behaviour problems, as the conventional bowl-feeding approach fail to mimic natural behaviour and is associated with obesity. Feeding toys can potentially contribute to the enhancement of dog behaviour by mimicking natural hunting behaviour and promoting increased canine activity. Para rubber is a natural rubber with high flexibility and is tolerant of animal teeth, making it safer for animals compared to plastic and silicone. This study had two main objectives: firstly, to examine dogs' preferences for the scent and colour added to a para rubber toy; and secondly, to explore the impact of using para rubber feeding toys on dog behaviours. The feeding toys were produced from natural rubber, with added scents and colours incorporated during their production. Subsequently, these toys were distributed to dog owners for evaluation. Owners completed the Thai version of the C-BARQ questionnaire, which evaluate canine behaviour both prior to and following a month of interaction with the toys. The findings indicated that dogs exhibited a preference for yellow toys over blue ones, as well as a preference for vanilla-scented toys compared to those with a beef scent. Following one month of consistent use of the para rubber toy, dogs tended to reduce various undesirable behaviours. Notably, excitation behaviour showed a nearly threefold decrease, and this reduction was statistically significant (p = 0.003). These outcomes emphasise the potential of natural rubber feeding toys in mitigating excitation-related behaviours, while also highlighting dogs' preference towards specific colours and scents. Consequently, there is a suggestion that enhancing toys with appealing scents or colours might foster greater interaction between dogs and their toys, potentially leading to a positive influence on their overall behavioural welfare.

Playing with a Doll Family: Key Characteristics of Junior Preschoolers’ Play Behaviour

The age of 3-4 years is the initial stage in the development of pretend play, or play involving an imaginary situation. In this process, the leading role belongs to dramatic play with toys, the importance of which for children’s development cannot be underestimated. The qualitative analysis of children’s play presented in this research forms part of a large study aimed at identifying the features of children’s play and the toy preferences throughout the entire preschool age. Ten 3-4-year-old children during five play sessions were asked to play a story with a doll family. Before and after the play sessions, all children were tested to assess the level of development of executive functions, imagination, and the type of attachment was determined for each child using a survey of teachers and mothers. The video recordings of the play sessions were then analyzed. The purpose of the analysis was to identify the characteristics of 3-4-year-old children’s play behavior and to explore the relationship of the play features with the indicators of individual development. The experimental setting with a series of play sessions also made it possible to assess the dynamics in play development for each child. To evaluate the play, the following indicators were used: the theme and content of play, spatial substitution, the extent of elaborateness and stability of the play idea, the level of play actions with a toy, and the elaborateness of role-play interactions. The results showed that the level of development of free play involving an imaginary situation for 3-4-year-old children could be defined as generally low, regardless of the level of individual development indicators. A comparison of the first and the fifth play sessions did not reveal any positive dynamics in the level of play development. These results indicate the important role of adult participation in the support and development of children’s play. They can form the basis for the practical recommendations for teachers and parents how to scaffold the playing process of 3-4 years old children.

“Boys Love Boy Toys”: a qualitative study exploring the role of fathers in young boys’ gendered toy preferences

Children come to understand the concept of gender and learn to differentiate roles and norms on the basis of gender in early childhood. By interacting with individuals in their social contexts (i.e., family and peers), children are taught about gender norms and expectations, and as a result, learn to negotiate their own identities within different contexts. Parents have an especially important role in how children come to understand their own gender identity, as they have the ability to shape their childrens’ behaviors by endorsing certain gender stereotypes (e.g., girls wear pink, and boys play with trucks). For young boys, their fathers are a key socialization agent in their gender development, as they convey both implicitly and explicitly, gender-appropriate ways of being. Fathers may endorse ideas of traditional masculinity, which constrain boys to conform to the expected male norms, and discourages them from engaging in perceived feminine behaviors, such as cross-gender play. Accordingly, young boys are often expected to prove their manhood by marking their masculinity against femininity, in a power struggle where they are trying to get their gender right. Based on established and current literature in the field of gender identity development and masculinity in early childhood, this qualitative study aimed to explore young boys’ existing working schema of masculinity and the role that their fathers play in shaping it. Participants included six father–son pairs, with boys (ages 4–6) and their fathers (ages 34–37). Fathers were first asked to complete an adapted version of the Child-Rearing Sex-Role Attitude Scale, which assessed their attitudes and beliefs about gender-related toys, activities, and behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with the father–son pairs, where they participated in a series of toy-preference activities in a virtual game. Descriptive coding and content analysis were used to analyze the responses boys provided for their toy preferences. Boys reported having a more stereotyped definition of “girl toys” than of “boy toys”, as reflected in their choices of toys that they felt that only girls would like to play with. Fathers’ self-described beliefs reported on the Child-Rearing Sex-Role Attitude Scale were similarly reflected in their behaviours and comments during the interviews with their sons, such that fathers who shared stereotypical beliefs about gender-related behaviours and activities on the scale, engaged in behaviours which corresponded to their beliefs when interacting with their sons. Implications for families and educators are discussed.

Sustainability factors affecting caregivers' toy preferences: An evaluation of e‐commerce best sellers in Turkey

AbstractToys make a considerable clutter in homes over time unless managed responsibly. Given the ease of buying anything these days, especially toys, due to the rise of online shopping (Richards et al., 2020), toy piles can grow quickly. Current literature on the sustainability of toys is based on physical touch points, such as material, design, assembly, or transport, and suggested methods to enhance sustainability performance up to the “before‐use” phase. Our study focuses on how consumers address the issue of sustainability in toys, from the moment they intend to buy a toy to the time they terminate the toys' use, with a focus on green purchase behavior. We used data from a survey to depict 220 Turkish caregivers' perceptions of sustainability with snowball sampling to build an analytic hierarchy process system. The aim was to understand caregivers' approaches to toy sustainability factors in general and to interpret their motivations for green purchase activity. Among the eight sustainability criteria explicitly set for toys, child development‐related factors dominated durability, while price was found to be ineffective. This study of six best‐selling toys for 3–6‐year‐olds on a shopping site revealed that long‐term use is crucial for sustainability in toys. We observed that digital platforms are insufficient to convey the sustainability features of products, and thus propose a concept that evaluates the sustainability performance of toys and advises the consumer about the sustainability potential of the toys on the sales site.

A Descriptive Methodology for Studying the Ontogeny of Object Play and Breed Differences in Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris).

Play behavior is a prominent aspect of juvenile behavior for many animals, yet early development, especially play with objects, has received little attention. Our previous study on object play introduced our general methods, focusing on litter differences in the developmental trajectory of object play and toy preferences. Here, we present a detailed ethogram of more than 30 observed object play behaviors. We focus on breed differences in the development of play in the three following breeds: Welsh Terriers, Vizslas, and standard Poodles. Puppies were video recorded from 3 to 7 weeks of age at half-week intervals upon the introduction of a standard set of five toys into their home environments. Ten minutes of video from each session for each puppy were analyzed using the Noldus Observer XT program. Aside from analyzing individual behaviors, they were also grouped into three behavioral categories. These were behaviors that occurred only in a solitary context, only in a social context, or in both contexts. Solitary object play developed first, and social object play developed later across breeds. There was a significant three-way interaction between breed, developmental age, and the context in which play occurred. Pairwise comparisons within each breed, age, and context are discussed, but a prominent result is that the onset of many behaviors occurred later in Welsh Terriers compared to the other breeds.

Toy stories: Children's use of gender stereotypes in making social judgments

Young children tend to categorize people and objects to understand their environments, but under certain circumstances, they can also appreciate individual differences. Three studies investigated how young children use categorical and individuating information to make social judgments. In Study 1, 3- to 5-year-old children (N = 33; 18 boys, 15 girls) predicted hypothetical peers' preferences for toys along a spectrum from highly stereotyped for girls to neutral to highly stereotyped for boys. Hypothetical peers were described by gender and as enjoying activities that were stereotypical, counter-stereotypical, or unrelated to gender. Children's choices were consistent with use of the provided individuating information rather than gender alone. In Studies 2 and 3, we retested these ideas with preschool samples from the United States (N = 44) and China (N = 21) respectively and also asked children about their toy, playmate, and activity preferences. For both samples, responses followed the same pattern as Study 1 for social judgments and were characterized by preferences for same-gender peers and neutral or gender-typed toys and activities, particularly in girls. While young children express preferences consistent with gender identity, they process and use individuating information in making social judgments, a capacity that could be targeted by interventions designed to reduce the development of gender-based bias.

What Drives Sex Toy Popularity? A Morphological Examination of Vaginally-Insertable Products Sold by the World’s Largest Sexual Wellness Company

ABSTRACT There is limited research into the morphology of sex toys, and specifically into (the often phallic-shaped) vibrators and dildos and what they may represent in terms of user preferences for male genital morphology. This study provides insight into consumer preference around vaginally insertable sex toys, their features, and what contributes to their popularity. Using a data set compiling information from the world’s largest online sexual wellness retailer Lovehoney, we examined the dimensions, price, and morphological features of 265 sex toys designed for vaginal insertion to determine what contributes to item popularity. Using regression models, we found that realistic features did not predict item popularity, whereas price (p < .001) and circumference (p = .01) significantly predicted the overall popularity of a toy. It appears that consumers show a preference for insertable sex toys that are not direct replicas of the male penis, which suggests they are not seeking a realistic partner substitute. Further, we found that the length of the toy did not significantly predict popularity which is consistent with other work showing that women do not place considerable emphasis on large phallus size. Our results can contribute to future product design and marketing, as well as reveal preferences toward particular characteristics of the phallus (whether real or toy).

Monkeys do not show sex differences in toy preferences through their individual choices

BackgroundAs interest in evaluating sex differences in nonhuman animals grows, the finding that male and female monkeys have toy preferences that differ, and that parallel those documented in human children, has garnered significant attention and is leveraged as an argument in favor of a biological contribution for human sex differences. To date, however, only two studies have investigated sex differences in monkeys’ toy preferences, both documenting that males prefer toys considered to be “masculine” (such as vehicles) and females prefer toys considered to be “feminine” (such as dolls). Monkeys in these studies were tested in their social groups, making it hard to determine if the sex differences reported reflect actual individual preferences or result from social dynamics present at the time of testing.MethodHere, we assessed the preferences of 14 rhesus macaques (N = 7 males; N = 7 females) who were singly tested in a choice test with a variety of toys characterized as masculine (hard non-zoomorphic wheeled toys), feminine (zoomorphic soft toys), neutral (hard non-zoomorphic toys) and ambiguous (zoomorphic or plush vehicles) based on criteria from previous studies.ResultsMales and females showed similar preferences for neutral and “masculine” toys and preferred them (i.e., were more likely to interact with them) to “feminine” and sex-ambiguous toys. When they interacted with the toys, both males and females interacted more with neutral than with “masculine” toys. Females, but not males, interacted more with neutral and “masculine” toys than with “feminine” toys. The highest frequency of interaction for any single toy for the male monkeys was with the doll—standing is stark contrast to previous findings.ConclusionsOur results contrast greatly with the previous study in rhesus monkeys, as well as findings in human children, suggesting that the previously documented sex differences are likely context dependent, and question the existence of a strong biological basis to sex differences in toy preferences.

Androgens and child behavior: Color and toy preferences in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)

Human males and females show average gender/sex differences for certain psychological phenomena. Multiple factors may contribute to these differences, including sex chromosomes, exposure to gonadal hormones, and socialization or learning. This study investigated potential hormonal and socialization/learning influences on gender/sex differences in childhood preferences for color, specifically pink and red vs. blues, and for toys. Children (aged 4 to 11 years) with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH, n = 43 girls and 37 boys), marked by elevated prenatal adrenal androgen exposure, and without CAH (n = 41 girls and 31 boys) were studied. Prior research indicates girls with CAH are masculinized for certain behaviors, such as toy choices, while boys with CAH generally do not differ from boys without CAH. In the current study, children indicated preferences for stereotyped hues of pink vs. blue as well as two control color pairs. They also indicated their preference between gender/sex-typed toys (doll vs. car) presented in black and white, in gender/sex-congruent colors (pink doll vs. blue car) and in gender/sex-incongruent colors (pink car vs. blue doll). Color findings: Control girls preferred stereotyped pink over blue more than boys or girls with CAH did; the latter two groups did not differ in their color preferences. No preference differences occurred for other color pairs. Toy findings: In black/white or gender/sex-congruent colors, boys preferred the car more than control girls or girls with CAH did, while girls with CAH preferred the car more than control girls did. In gender/sex-incongruent colors (pink car vs. blue doll), boys still preferred the car, while girls with CAH showed reduced and control girls showed increased preferences for the pink car compared to the car preferences in black/white. Results support learning theories of color preferences, perhaps also influenced by pre-existing toy preferences which may occur for other reasons, including early androgen exposure. Specifically, girls with CAH may have learned they do not enjoy stereotypical toys for girls, often colored pink, and pink coloring may subsequently diminish their preference for a car. Our results highlight the importance of gonadal hormones and learning in the development of childhood toy and color preferences.

Toy Preferences among 3-to-4-Year-Old Children: The Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors and Developmental Characteristics.

Today's common typologies and categories of children's toys are mainly decided by the manufacturers and retailers of children's products. Such categorizations are not based on a theoretical understanding of child development and therefore cannot provide information about the opportunities that toys provide for the young. This study proposed three criteria for categorizing toys based on the cultural-historical approach: their degree of realism; their degree of anthropomorphism; and their degree of detail. These criteria were chosen as a result of an analysis of theoretical works carried out in the framework of cultural-historical approach. The proposed criteria were tested through an experiment measuring children's toy preferences. The participants were 129 children of ages 3-4 years. Experimental data confirmed that most children do prefer realistic and detailed toys rather than those with fewer of these properties. The contribution of socio-demographic factors and the children's individual developmental indicators to their toy preference was also analyzed. The study revealed that among various socio-demographic factors, only the child's gender and the number of siblings in the family acted as significant predictors for the toy preferences. None of child's developmental characteristics (nonverbal intelligence, executive functions, and emotional understanding) were found to be significant predictors of preference for particular toys. The assumption that toys can be assessed in terms of their realism and degree of detail found empirical support. The results of this study may be useful in designing further research and in the practical issue of toy selection for children age 3-4 years.

Consistency of gender identity and preferences across time: An exploration among cisgender and transgender children.

While considerable research has examined gender development in middle childhood, little longitudinal work has been conducted at this time to indicate whether, for example, youth who show more or less gender conformity at one point continue to do so later. The present study investigated the consistency of gender identity and preferences for gender-stereotypical toys, clothing, and same-gender peer preferences among groups of transgender youth (n = 158), their siblings (n = 79), and an unrelated group of cisgender youth (n = 128) from a mean age of 7.0 (range 3.0-10.9) to a mean age of 9.6 (range 5.1-12.0). Furthermore, 65.5% of the youth were girls, 69.7% were White, 72.8% grew up in households with an annual household income of $75,000 or more, and 89.9% of parents had a bachelor's degree or higher. Overall, we found a small-to-medium correlation over this 2.6-year span within each group, both across the composite of measures and most measures individually. Despite the moderate stability over time, we found a decrease in the composite and individual scores over this time span for girls and for transgender participants. Together these results suggested some stability in children's gender identity and preferences in middle childhood and that this was true regardless of whether the child's gender did or did not align with their sex assignment at birth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Desire to play with counterstereotypical peers is related to gender stereotypes and playmate experiences.

This study investigated the role of children's gender stereotypes and peer playmate experiences in shaping their desire to play with peers who hold counterstereotypical preferences (e.g., a boy who likes dolls or a girl who likes trucks). Children (N = 95; 46 girls, 49 boys; 67% White, 18% Black, 8% Latinx, 4% Asian, 3% other; median household income = $US97,810) who were 4 to 8 years old (M = 6.11 years old, SD = 1.34) were interviewed about their gender stereotypes about toy preferences, how often they engage in counterstereotypical playmate experiences, and their desire to play with peers who hold counterstereotypical toy preferences. Children with less gender stereotype-consistent expectations reported more playmate experiences with children who played with toys that were gender counterstereotypical compared to children with more gender stereotype-consistent expectations. Additionally, children with less gender stereotype-consistent expectations reported a greater desire to play with peers who held counterstereotypical toy preferences compared to children with more gender stereotype-consistent expectations. Younger children's reported playmate experiences with peers who liked toys that were gender counterstereotypical and their desire to play with these peers were strongly related to their gender stereotypical expectations (and more so than for older children). Together, these findings indicate that children's gender stereotypes and peer playmate experiences are related to their desire to play with peers who hold counterstereotypical toy preferences, highlighting the importance of facilitating diverse friendships for promoting inclusive orientations in childhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Play skill levels and toy preferences of disabled children according to their mothers

This study aims to examine the views of mothers regarding plays and toys which are of great significance also for children with intellectual retardation and learning disability. This study was conducted through a mixed method by using qualitative and quantitative methods together. Seventy-five mothers who participated in the study were chosen by using the purposive sampling method in the first stage and the random sampling method in the second stage. Data were collected through the ‘Play Skills Scale’ and ‘Mother Interview Form’. The quantitative data were analysed through Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests and qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. In the qualitative dimension of the study following themes were found; playing with the child, the toys the child plays with, whether the child has a toy he/she always plays with, and whether giving the child the right to choose when buying toys. For the quantitative dimension of the study significant difference was found between the play skill levels, disability type, giving the child the right to choose when buying toys, and toy type variables.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: Early childhood; intellectual retardation; learning disability; play; toy

Measuring the neural correlates of the violation of social expectations: A comparison of two experimental tasks

ABSTRACT Evidence exists that people’s brains respond differently to stimuli that violate social expectations. However, there are inconsistencies between studies in the event-related potentials (ERP) on which differential brain responses are found, as well as in the direction of the differences. Therefore, the current paper examined which of the two most frequently used tasks, the Impression Formation Task (IFT) or Implicit Association Test (IAT), provided more robust ERP components in response to the violation of gendered expectations. Both IFT and IAT paradigms were administered in a counter-balanced way among 25 young adults (age 22–31, 56% male), while brain activity was assessed with electroencephalography. The IFT and IAT specifically measured the violation of gendered expectations with regard to toy preferences and behavioral tendencies of young children. The results showed that both tasks were able to elicit relevant ERP components. Yet, the IFT evoked ERP effects of the violation of gendered expectations on all but one of the selected ERP components; the P1, N1, and LPP. The IAT only elicited different P3 amplitudes when expectations were violated. We recommend the use of IFT paradigms when studying neural processes underlying the violation of social expectations.

Evaluating the effects of social interaction on the results of preference assessments for leisure items.

A variable that may influence the outcomes of stimulus preference assessments (SPAs) is whether social interaction is provided during the stimulus access period. In Experiment 1, we compared the outcomes of a Solitary paired stimulus preference assessment (PSPA) (toys only), Social PSPA (toys plus social interaction), and Combined PSPA (toys alone and toys plus social interaction) to determine whether the addition of social interaction influenced preference for toys in preschool children. In Experiment 2, we conducted a concurrent-operant reinforcer assessment to compare the reinforcing efficacy of stimuli with and without social interaction. Experiment 1 showed preference for toys was stable across assessments (Solitary and Social PSPAs) and most participants preferred toys plus social interaction when compared in a single assessment (Combined PSPA). Experiment 2 showed that results of the Combined PSPA in Experiment 1 predicted the outcome of most participants' reinforcer assessments.

Investigação de vieses de gênero para brinquedos em adultos de duas faixas etárias por meio do Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP)

&#x0D; Brinquedos infantis são objetos amplamente disponíveis nas sociedades modernas. É geralmente reconhecido que existem diferenças relacionadas ao gênero nas preferências por brinquedos, embora a origem e o desenvolvimento dessa preferência constituam um tópico ainda controverso. Assumindo que a visão de adultos sobre o que é apropriado para cada gênero possa influenciar diferencialmente a preferência de crianças por brinquedos, este estudo exploratório investigou se existiriam diferenças nas direções e magnitudes de vieses de gênero para brinquedos em adultos de duas faixas etárias distintas por meio do Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP). Um grupo de jovens entre 18 e 25 anos e um grupo de adultos entre 40 e 60 anos foram submetidos a um IRAP programado para investigar vieses acerca da adequação, para meninos e meninas, de brinquedos normalmente tipificados como “masculinos” ou “femininos”. O desempenho do grupo de pessoas mais velhas pareceu revelar que brinquedos tipificados como masculinos são adequados para meninos e inadequados para meninas. Além disso, o desempenho desse grupo também sugere que brinquedos tipificados como femininos são adequados para meninas e inadequados para meninos. Em contraste, o desempenho do grupo de pessoas mais jovens sugere apenas que brinquedos tipificados como masculinos são adequados para meninos e brinquedos tipificados como femininos são adequados para meninas; nenhuma inadequação de qualquer desses brinquedos para meninos ou meninas pôde ser inferida a partir dos dados produzidos por esse grupo. Discute-se que mensagens de movimentos sociais a que pessoas mais jovens são expostas com mais frequência podem ter contribuído para a diferença encontrada entre os participantes dos dois grupos pesquisados.

Dressing up with Disney and Make-Believe with Marvel: The Impact of Gendered Costumes on Gender Typing, Prosocial Behavior, and Perseverance during Early Childhood

Wearing costumes is a common experience during early childhood and is often important to sociodramatic play. Costumes tend to be highly gendered for both girls and boys (such as princess and superhero costumes). However, there is very little research on the impact that wearing costumes has on gender-differentiated behavior, such as toy preference, prosocial behavior, or perseverance during early childhood. The current study included 223 U.S. children, aged between 3 and 5 years-old. Children were assigned to wear either a gendered, counter-gendered, or gender-neutral costume, and they then took part in three gender-related tasks. There was no impact of wearing costumes on any task for girls. However, boys preferred feminine toys significantly more when wearing a neutral costume when compared to a masculine-typed one. Additionally, boys were significantly less likely to help when wearing a masculine-typed costume compared to a feminine-typed costume. There are several implications of these findings that are discussed in the paper. Parents may wish to purchase a wide range of costumes for their child for sociodramatic play, particularly for boys. Therapists could also potentially use costumes during play therapy to discuss gender issues. Additionally, costume producers could consider marketing a wide range of costumes for children as opposed to largely focusing on gendered ones.