Sex differences in 1-, 3-, and 5-year-olds' toy-choice in a structured play-session

This cross-sectional study investigated toy-choice in 38 one-year-old, 33 t hree-year-old, and 35 five-year-old children, who could choose between 10 d ifferent toys (four feminine, four masculine, and two neutral) in a structu red play-session. The children played alone for 7 minutes and together with their accompanying parent for another 7 minutes (play-status). The results showed that girls and boys chose different toys from as early as the age o f one year (Mdn = 12 months). These sex differences were found at all three ages. In contradiction to earlier studies, our results showed that feminin e toys became less interesting for both girls and boys with increasing age. The present study showed no consistent effects of play-status. This study contributes to the knowledge of how early behavioral sex differences can be observed, how these differences develop, and it also raises questions conc erning what sex differences stem from.