Abstract
The current study investigated gender differences in the personal hero choices, hero attributions, and characteristics attributed to “typical” male and female heroes of children living in the Midwestern United States (N = 103; mean age = 10 years). Questionnaires were completed in a school setting. The majority of girls chose heroes personally known to them; boys chose personal and public figures equally often. Most boys chose same gender heroes; girls’ nominations were mixed. Gender differences were also seen in the characteristics children attributed to their own heroes and in their conceptions of “typical” male and female heroes. Children rated same-gender “typical” heroes more positively on many attributes, except for stereotypically masculine characteristics. Gender socialization, stereotypes, and in-group favoritism were used to explain these findings.
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Appendix 1
Appendix 1
Adjectives Included in Each Subscale for Own Heroes, Typical Male and Typical Female Heroes
Expressive Attributes |
Helpful |
Gentle |
Comforting |
Giving |
Warm |
Greedy (R) |
Selfish (R) |
Instrumental Attributes |
Strong |
Energetic |
Smart |
Hardworking |
Brave |
Clever |
Prestige Attributes |
Well-known |
Famous |
Popular |
Dresses well |
Rich |
Exciting job |
Good Looking |
Sociable Attributes |
Happy |
Cheerful |
Funny |
Confident |
Nice |
(R)-Items were reverse coded.
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Holub, S.C., Tisak, M.S. & Mullins, D. Gender Differences in Children’s Hero Attributions: Personal Hero Choices and Evaluations of Typical Male and Female Heroes. Sex Roles 58, 567–578 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9358-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9358-2