Abstract
The stability of individual differences has important implications for understanding the origins of gender-typed behaviors. For example, if some children have a stronger preference for same-sex playmates (gender segregation) than do others, then exploring characteristics that may differentiate these children from their peers (e.g., preference for gender-typed toys or teacher proximity) should prove fruitful. Otherwise, research might be focused more appropriately on group-level processes or situational factors rather than individual differences. In the current study, 57 2 1/2- to 3-year-olds from middle-class Canadian homes were observed repeatedly during free play at their preschools. Four aspects of gender typing (gender segregation, use of masculine and feminine gender-typed toys, teacher proximity) were measured so that the stability of individual differences and relations among the measures could be assessed. Stable individual differences were found for all four measures among boys, and for two of the measures (feminine toy play, teacher proximity) among girls. In addition, boys who played most frequently with masculine toys rarely were observed in proximity to the teacher. However, there was no relation between gender segregation and the other indices of gender typing.
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The authors would like to thank the children, their families, and the staffs of St. Andrew's and Rainbow Preschools of Montreal for making the study possible. We are also grateful to Judith Gulko, who collaborated in developing the observational code and in supervising data collection and coding; Wendy Siefert, who helped collect and code the data; and Heather Chang, who assisted with data analysis. This project was partially supported with funds from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and from the FCAR of the Ministry of Education of Quebec. Portions of this paper were presented at the Conference on Human Development, Atlanta, Georgia, April, 1992.
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Powlishta, K.K., Serbin, L.A. & Moller, L.C. The stability of individual differences in gender typing: Implications for understanding gender segregation. Sex Roles 29, 723–737 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289214
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289214