PRESCHOOLERS AWARENESS OF SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS OF GENDER - RELATIONSHIPS TO TOY CHOICES

Sixty-one preschoolers (28 girls, 33 boys) whose ethnic/racial descrip tions reflected local population statistics (one parent categorized he r child as Native American and White, while 60 patients categorized th eir children as White) were videotaped in a playroom. In the playroom, children had access to a tool set, and a dish set that were either pr esented neutrally or as gender-typed. During subsequent interviews, a high frequency of boys reported that their fathers would think cross-g ender-typed play was ''bad''. Boys' toy choices in the playroom were t he most stereotyped if boys perceived that their fathers world think c ross-gender-typed toy play was ''bad'', and if the boys played in a co ntext that highlighted toys as gender stereotyped. The discussion high lights the role of social constraints (both immediate and learned) in boys' gender typed play.