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Peer Toy Play as a Gateway to Children’s Gender Flexibility: The Effect of (Counter)Stereotypic Portrayals of Peers in Children’s Magazines

Spinner, Lauren, Cameron, Lindsey, Calogero, Rachel M. (2018) Peer Toy Play as a Gateway to Children’s Gender Flexibility: The Effect of (Counter)Stereotypic Portrayals of Peers in Children’s Magazines. Sex Roles, . ISSN 0360-0025. E-ISSN 1573-2762. (doi:10.1007/s11199-017-0883-3) (KAR id:65228)

Abstract

Extensive evidence has documented the gender stereotypic content of children’s media, and media is recognized as an important socializing agent for young children. Yet, the precise impact of children’s media on the endorsement of gender-typed attitudes and behaviors has received less scholarly attention. We investigated the impact of stereotypic and counter-stereotypic peers pictured in children’s magazines on children’s gender flexibility around toy play and preferences, playmate choice, and social exclusion behavior (n = 82, age 4–7 years-old). British children were randomly assigned to view a picture of a peer-age boy and girl in a magazine playing with either a gender stereotypic or counter-stereotypic toy. In the stereotypic condition, the pictured girl was shown with a toy pony and the pictured boy was shown with a toy car; these toys were reversed in the counter-stereotypic condition. Results revealed significantly greater gender flexibility around toy play and playmate choices among children in the counterstereotypic condition compared to the stereotypic condition, and boys in the stereotypic condition were more accepting of gender-based exclusion than were girls. However, there was no difference in children’s own toy preferences between the stereotypic and counter-stereotypic condition, with children preferring more gender-typed toys overall. Implications of the findings for media, education, and parenting practices are discussed, and the potential for counterstereotypic media portrayals of toy play to shape the gender socialization of young children is explored.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1007/s11199-017-0883-3
Uncontrolled keywords: early childhood development; stereotyped behavior; gender role attitudes; gender flexibility; toy play; media exposure; children’s print magazines; social acceptance; bullying
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: L. Spinner
Date Deposited: 11 Dec 2017 15:42 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Jul 2023 08:52 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/65228 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Spinner, Lauren.

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Cameron, Lindsey.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1388-1970
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Calogero, Rachel M..

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