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Problem-solving performance of young boys and girls as a function of task appropriateness and sex identity

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Abstract

The problem-solving performance of young boys and girls was examined in three conditions in which good performance was indicated as being appropriate for boys, for girls, or for both boys and girls. The relations between task scores and five sex-role measures were also examined. As predicted, the boys performed significantly more poorly when the task was indicated as one that girls did better. The girls' performance was not affected by the conditions of the study. The girls' problem-solving scores did not differ significantly from the boys' scores. There was some relationship between the task scores and the sex-role measures for boys, but not for girls. Associations among the sex-role measures were not high.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Sir George Williams Faculty of Arts, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Boulevard West, H3G 1M8, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Dolores Gold & Charlene Berger

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  1. Dolores Gold
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  2. Charlene Berger
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This research was supported by a DGES-FCAC research grant from the government of Quebec, Canada.

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Gold, D., Berger, C. Problem-solving performance of young boys and girls as a function of task appropriateness and sex identity. Sex Roles 4, 183–193 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287499

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287499

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