Sex is a significant social category, and adults derive information about it from both faces and bodies. Research indicates that young infants process sex category information in faces. However, no prior study has examined whether infants derive sex categories from bodies and match faces and bodies in terms of sex. In the current study,…

A sample of 355 first-, third-, and fifth-grade children from a middle-class school were asked to rate each of 40 adult occupations as male, female, or neutral, in terms of their attitudes about which sex has the abilities to do each job. (Author/JMB)

Developed the Gender Stereotyping Test, a sorting task that identifies the type of information used by young children to assign objects or qualities to each sex. Found that 4-year olds with knowledge of gender identity were more likely to gender type metaphorical, but not conventional, items than children without stable, constant gender identity.…

Investigated relationships and sequence of acquisition among seven gender concepts and extent to which cognitive maturity is related to them. Study of 60 preschool children found that gender concepts improve with age, are similar in both sexes, and are related to one another and to some aspects of cognitive maturity. (Author/ML)

Used meta-analysis to examine relationship of parents' gender schemas and their offspring's gender-related cognitions, with samples ranging in age from infancy through early adulthood. Found a small but meaningful effect size (r=.16) indicating a positive correlation between parent gender schema and offspring measures. Effect sizes were influenced…

This report examines the results of a study designed to compare various aspects of sex role development among upper middle, middle, and lower class white and Spanish language heritage children in three different preschool daycare centers. The 168 children studied ranged in age from 30 months to six-and-a-half years. Measuring instruments were…

To investigate the relationship of children's beliefs about sex differences to their own age and gender, 427 children (seven, 10, and 15 year olds) were asked to explain their beliefs. Younger children's responses displayed a biological orientation, and older children's a societal orientation, but no evidence supported a hypothesized third stage…

Provides a theory-based examination of relations among aspects of preschool children's social environments and cognitive indices of their gender role development. Examines differences in the relations among social agents on cognitive indices of girls' and boys' gender role development. Significant sex differences are discussed. (JS)

Although many studies have described adolescents' sexual behavior and attitudes, there are little data available on the nature of the questions that occur to adolescents as they move toward maturity. A study was conducted to determine whether the questions children and adolescents ask reflect developmental differences in cognitive abilities and…

Examines research which suggests that children's developing knowledge about traditional gender roles has a substantial influence on how children process information pertaining to gender. Evidence also shows that as children attain gender constancy, their behaviors become especially responsive to gender-related information. (Author/RWB)

This review and critique examines cognitive developmental theory and research concerning the development of gender knowledge, and social learning theory and research concerning the development of sex-role stereotypes. A preliminary integrated model of the development of gender knowledge and sex-role stereotypes in young children is presented.…

This study provides evidence of sex-typed behavior in the spontaneous play of infants between 9 1/2 and 15 1/2 months. Eight boys and eight girls at 9 1/2, 11 1/2, 13 1/2, and 15 1/2 months were observed during 15 minutes of free play with a variety of realistic toys equally divided into male, female, and neutral categories. Stereotypical,…

Mentally retarded (N=36) and nonretarded (N=37) children matched for MA (48 months) were assessed on gender understanding with the expectation that the two groups would show similar sequencing and attainment. The nonretarded subjects' data mirrored previous cross-sectional findings, but the retarded respondents displayed signficantly better gender…

The relation between past history of outcomes and achievement expectancies was examined for 72 elementary school students. (JMB)

The present findings suggest that never" as a response and very often" as a response are mediated by different underlying processes, at least between the ages of 8 and 17. (Author/WY)