Cognitive aspects of early sex-role development: The influence of gender schemas on preschooler's memories and preferences for sex-typed toys and activities

• Published in: Child development Vol. 59; no. 3; pp. 782 - 792
• Main Authors: Carter, D.B, Levy, G.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, MA University of Chicago Press 01-06-1988; Blackwell; University of Chicago Press for the Society for Research in Child Development, etc
• Subjects: age differences; Biological and medical sciences; Child development; Children; cognitive development; Developmental psychology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gender differences; Gender identity; Gender roles; Gender studies; knowledge; Masculinity; Memory; preschool children; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Recognition memory; role perception; Schematism; sex stereotypes; Stereotypes; toy preferences; Toys; United States; Human; Preschool age; Play; Social behavior; Preference; Memory; Stereotype; Child; Social cognition; Gender role
• ISSN: 0009-3920; 1467-8624
• DOI: 10.2307/1130576

60 33-68-month-old children were interviewed to assess relations among sex-stereotype knowledge, stereotype flexibility, gender constancy, sex-typed toy preferences, gender schematization, and recognition memory for gender-relevant illustrations. Age was positively associated with recognition memory for stereotype-consistent and inconsistent activities and negatively associated with simple recognition errors. Gender schematization was negatively associated with memory for stereotype-inconsistent activities and positively associated with gender transformational memory errors. Boys' toy preferences were more stereotype consistent and, for all children, preferences for sex-appropriate toys were positively associated with age and gender schematization. Sex-inappropriate preferences were negatively associated with gender schematization. Neither stereotype knowledge, stereotype flexibility, nor gender constancy reliably predicted memories or preferences.