Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Even 9-Month-Olds Choose 'Gender-Specific' Toys
YahooNews.com ^ | April 16, 2010 | Jenifer Goodwin

Posted on 04/16/2010 10:46:40 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012

THURSDAY, April 15 (HealthDay News) -- Parents may want their girls to grow up to be astronauts and their boys to one day do their fair share of child care and housework duties, but a new study suggests certain stereotypical gender preferences take root even before most kids can crawl.

When presented with seven different toys, boys as young as 9 months old went for the car, digger and soccer ball, while ignoring the teddy bears, doll and cooking set.

And the girls? You guessed it. At the same age, they were most interested in the doll, teddy bear and miniature pot, spoon and plastic vegetables.

"The boys always preferred the toys that go or move, and the girls preferred toys that promote nurturing and facial features," said study author Sara Amalie O'Toole Thommessen, an undergraduate at City University in London.

So does this mean that boys and girls have an innate preference for certain types of objects? Or does socialization -- that is, the influence of parents and the larger culture -- impact children's choice of toys very early in life?

It's too soon to rule either out, said Walter Gilliam, director of the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: anotherstudy; genderstudies; junkscience; moralabsolutes; psychology; sexdifferences; toys; yale
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 last
To: dfwgator

I know they speak English, as I am married to a Hindi woman, but knowing their language can be very beneficial to bridging communication gaps when trying to convey a difficult concept.


61 posted on 04/16/2010 1:42:22 PM PDT by Little Pig (Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Little Pig
I do try to encourage her to admire careers that are challenging

Not stay home and raise her own babies?

62 posted on 04/16/2010 5:23:24 PM PDT by donna (Sarah Palin: "I support his [McCain] position on immigration.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: ilovesarah2012; 185JHP; 230FMJ; Albion Wilde; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]

What the heck, one more pingout tonight. There's a photo of a very cute little baby girl so I'm pinging. Why anyone needs a scientific study is beyond me. I thought even the idiot scientists and academics realized some years ago that boys and girls are different naturally. Are they having to reinvent the wheel another time?? Social conditioning is not the reason girls and boys are different - not from 9 months, but from birth. It's Mother Nature's fault, and she works under Divine Direction. The gender bending/feminist/GLBTetc agenda are in rebellion against natural law and the Author of natural law. The sooner people live in accordance with natural law, the sooner sanity will prevail.

63 posted on 04/16/2010 10:01:57 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Asato Ma Sad Gamaya Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: little jeremiah

“The sooner people live in accordance with natural law, the sooner sanity will prevail.”

Amen.


64 posted on 04/16/2010 10:25:16 PM PDT by BnBlFlag (Deo Vindice/Semper Fidelis "Ya gotta saddle up your boys; Ya gotta draw a hard line")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: BnBlFlag

And of course the converse is true. The more people in general dive headfirst off the cliff into depravity, the worse everything will get....


65 posted on 04/16/2010 10:37:47 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Asato Ma Sad Gamaya Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: FourPeas

My child was two, picked up a plastic elephant with extended trunk and started to shoot the enemy. Where is my child now? Today is his 18th birthday and he is at mini-boot camp with the Marines. Happy Birthday, Bubba! I love you.


66 posted on 04/17/2010 4:23:02 AM PDT by huldah1776
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Dagnabitt

She wants a baby brother. :)


67 posted on 04/17/2010 4:24:02 AM PDT by huldah1776
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Manic_Episode

Think I’ll write a book....The techniques of being a child...or How to get away with stuff....


68 posted on 04/17/2010 6:08:04 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (What)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: huldah1776

I hope your son has a very happy birthday!


69 posted on 04/17/2010 6:45:07 AM PDT by FourPeas (God Bless America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson