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Measures of play behavior: The influence of sex-role stereotyped children's books

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Abstract

Preschool children significantly more often chose a sex-stereotypic toy following exposure to a sex-stereotypic children's book. Conversely, boys and girls exposed to a nonstereotypic book significantly more often selected a nonstereotypic toy. Boys and girls individually played with stereotypic male, female, and neutral toys; each child was then read a sex-role stereotypic or nonstereotypic picture book; another play session followed. Measures of visual regard and manipulation were applied to the observed play behavior of 32 preschool children to determine the significance of the findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Early Childhood/Elementary Education, Worcester State College, USA

    Eleanor Ashton

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  1. Eleanor Ashton
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Ashton, E. Measures of play behavior: The influence of sex-role stereotyped children's books. Sex Roles 9, 43–47 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00303108

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00303108

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