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Children’s Gender-Typed Toy Interests: Does Propulsion Matter?

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Abstract

Children’s toy play is at the foundation of child development. However, gender differentiation in early play experiences may result in gender differences in cognitive abilities, social interactions, and vocational choices. We investigated gender-typing of toys and toys’ propulsive properties (e.g., wheels, forward motion) as possible factors impacting children’s toy interests, perceptions of other children’s interests, and children’s actual toy choices during free play. In Studies 1 and 2, 82 preschool children (42 boys, 40 girls; mean age = 4.90 years) were asked to report their interest and perceptions of other children’s interests in toys. In Study 1, masculine, feminine, and neutral toys with and without propulsive properties were presented. Children reported greater interest in gender-typed toys and neutral toys compared to cross-gender-typed toys. In Study 2, unfamiliar, neutral toys with and without propulsive properties were presented. Propulsive properties did not affect children’s interest across both studies. Study 3 was an observational study that assessed toy preferences among 42 preschool children (21 males, 21 females, mean age = 4.49 years) during a play session with masculine, feminine, and neutral toys with and without propulsive properties. Gender-typed toy preferences were less apparent than expected, with children showing high interest in neutral toys, and girls playing with a wide variety of masculine, feminine, and neutral toys. Gender differences in interest for toys with propulsion properties were not evident. Overall, gender differences in children’s interest in toys as a function of propulsion properties were not found in the three experiments within this study.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the children who participated in the studies for their time and attention. We also thank the child care staff and teachers for always supporting the effort to understand children’s lives via scientific investigation. The authors also acknowledge the skilled efforts of the following research assistants: Morgan Lalevee, Jordan Levinson, Courtney Medina, Jennifer Pacheco, Lindsey Pieschl, and Deanna Williams, and Maryam Srouji. Lisa M. Dinella would also like to thank Elizabeth Beldowicz for her contribution to this scientific investigation. She attended research team meetings, even when she had the flu. Elizabeth helped remind the research team what it is like to be a child and the importance of meeting kids’ needs during the research process. The team is grateful for Ellie’s assistance and flexibility.

Funding

This study was partially funded by an internal Grant in Aid of Creativity awarded to the first author by Monmouth University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ, 07764, USA

    Lisa M. Dinella

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI, USA

    Erica S. Weisgram

  3. Department of Psychology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, USA

    Megan Fulcher

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  1. Lisa M. Dinella
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  2. Erica S. Weisgram
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Correspondence to Lisa M. Dinella.

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Lisa M. Dinella, Erica S. Weisgram, and Megan Fulcher declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained for all individual participants included in the study.

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Dinella, L.M., Weisgram, E.S. & Fulcher, M. Children’s Gender-Typed Toy Interests: Does Propulsion Matter?. Arch Sex Behav 46, 1295–1305 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0901-5

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