Examined toddlers' awareness of own-sex and other-sex gender-typed and non-gender-typed toys, also measuring accuracy at labeling sex. Toddlers participated in sequential touching tasks. Results indicated that toddlers possessed significant awareness of gender-typed categories, particularly own-sex gender-typed ones. Awareness of gender-typed…

Observation of televised toy commercials during holiday periods in 1977 and 1978 revealed that: 1) more boys than girls appeared in commercials in both years; 2) girls had more passive roles in 1977 commercials; and 3) vehicles and male dolls were primarily aimed at boys, while manipulative toys were aimed at both sexes. (Author/MJL)

One study of 9-12 year olds found that only girls showed toy preferences among a variety of sex typed and neutral toys, but that both sexes interacted differently with masculine and feminine toys. In another study, play constructions and stories reflected the gender association of toys provided, rather than child's sex. (AOS)

Investigated gender role socialization as a function of parenting experience in a toy play situation and as a function of adults' perceptions of gender-stereotyped toys. Children played individually with their parent, another child's parent, and a nonparent. Overall, adults acted in similar ways regardless of their parenting experiences. Gender…

Two studies calculated the amount of time boys and girls spent playing with toy dishes and tools, examining whether this varied as a function of children's perceptions of social expectations of gender, awareness of gender stereotypes, and situational constraints. Results indicated that situational and perceived social constraints influenced…

Analysis of children's letters to Santa Claus indicated that: (1) girls requested more toys than boys; (2) children requested neutral toys more often than sex-typed toys; (3) girls were more likely to ask for neutral toys, while boys often asked for neutral or masculine toys; and (4) children preferred sex appropriate to sex inappropriate toys.…

College students grouped by scores on the Bem Sex Role Inventory rated 74 toys on their appropriateness for girls or boys, their educational value, and whether they required activity or cooperation. Male subjects sex-typed toys more than females, though responses overall were traditional. Gender role (BSRI) proved unrelated to sex-typed ratings.…

Children viewed videotapes of "Sesame Street" characters discussing the sex appropriateness of some toys. In free play, the children chose toys identified as sex appropriate over a comparison group of toys not shown in the videotapes, but chose the comparison toys over videotaped toys identified as inappropriate for their sex. (Author/MJL)

Using a toy preference technique, boys and girls between 42 and 64 months were tested for sex role stereotyping. Analysis indicated the developmental nature of such stereotyping in both sexes and the finding that older siblings are much more important in the development of such stereotyping than are sexist parents. (Author/GC)

The classifications of and clustering in recall of 49 44- to 81-month old predominantly white children of gender-typed indoor and outdoor toys were studied. Results are discussed in terms of gender-differing play contexts. Boys and girls show distinctively different patterns in abilities to accurately classify toys. (SLD)

Compared parents and nonparents to examine differences in the use of gender stereotyping to classify children's toys, and differences according to children's ages. Findings for 206 toys suggest that while toys are gender stereotyped for all age groups, there is more flexibility in gender stereotyping of toys for infants and toddlers. (SLD)

Possible antecedents of toddler gender separation were studied with 57 toddlers with a mean age of 35 months. There were no differences between gender-segregating and nonsegregating children regarding gender toy preferences or gender awareness, but teachers saw gender-segregating girls as more socially sensitive. (SLD)

A group of 76 male and female toddlers identified drawings depicting boys and girls alone or with sex-typical or sex-atypical toys by responding "girl" or "boy,""girls' toy" or "boys' toy." The youngest girls outperformed the youngest boys in identifying toys. Otherwise, responses in general improved with…

Studies specific play behaviors of parents and toddlers when playing with baby dolls and a clown as indices of gender-role socialization by parents. The clown and dolls elicited different play behaviors from both the parents and toddlers. Same sex parent/toddler dyads engaged in different types of play from opposite-sex dyads. (MMU)

Following exposure to picture books that showed characters playing with either sex role stereotypic or nonstereotypic toys, preschoolers chose to play longer with the toys they had seen in the books. The books had a greater effect on girls than on boys. (Author/MJL)