Modification of Children's Gender-Stereotyped Behavior

2 studies of 8- and 11-year-old children explored factors related to willingness to perform gender-atraditional tasks. Study 1 assessed baseline gender preferences and gender-related cognitive flexibility. While older children were found to have greater cognitive flexibility, and older boys had more...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child development 1991-04, Vol.62 (2), p.338-351
Main Authors: Katz, Phyllis A., Walsh, P. Vincent
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Age
Age Differences
Behavior
Behavior Modeling
Biological and medical sciences
Child Behavior
Child development
Children
Comic books
Developmental psychology
Elementary Education
Elementary School Students
Examiner Effect
Examiners
Experimenter Characteristics
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gender performativity
Gender roles
Peer Influence
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Questionnaires
Sex Differences
Sex Role
Sex Stereotypes
Sexes
Social Reinforcement
Social research
Socialization
Stereotyped Behavior
Stereotypes
Toys
Citations: Items that cite this one
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Summary:2 studies of 8- and 11-year-old children explored factors related to willingness to perform gender-atraditional tasks. Study 1 assessed baseline gender preferences and gender-related cognitive flexibility. While older children were found to have greater cognitive flexibility, and older boys had more stereotyped preferences, such questionnaire measures were not highly predictive of gender-atraditional behavior. Study 2 explored the parameters of vicarious social reinforcement in the symbolic modeling of gender-atraditional behavior. Peer reinforcers were more effective with younger children and on child-oriented tasks, whereas adult reinforcers were more effective with older children and on adult-oriented gender tasks. Both studies found that considerably more atraditional behavior was elicited with male examiners, suggesting more attention needs to be paid to this variable. Possible mechanisms underlying this effect are discussed.
ISSN:0009-3920
1467-8624
DOI:10.2307/1131007