Pink Frilly Dresses and the Avoidance of All Things "Girly": Children's Appearance Rigidity and Cognitive Theories of Gender Development

Autor/inn/en	Halim, May Ling; Ruble, Diane N.; Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S.; Zosuls, Kristina M.; Lurye, Leah E.; Greulich, Faith K.
Titel	Pink Frilly Dresses and the Avoidance of All Things "Girly": Children's Appearance Rigidity and Cognitive Theories of Gender Development
Quelle	In: Developmental Psychology, 50 (2014) 4, S.1091-1101 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0012-1649
DOI	10.1037/a0034906
Schlagwörter	Gender Differences; Child Development; Sexual Identity; Physical Characteristics; Incidence; Clothing; Preferences; Young Children; Epistemology; Identification (Psychology); Parent Child Relationship; Self Concept; Interviews; Schemata (Cognition); Whites; African Americans; Chinese Americans; Latin Americans; Mexican Americans; Low Income; Immigrants; Cultural Background; Middle Class; Ethnicity; New York + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Geschlechterkonflikt; Kindesentwicklung; Geschlechtsidentität; Sexuelle Identität; Körperliche Erscheinung; Vorkommen; Kleidung; Frühe Kindheit; Erkenntnistheorie; Parents-child relationship; Parent-child-relation; Parent-child relationship; Eltern-Kind-Beziehung; Selbstkonzept; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Cognition; Schema; Kognition; White; Weißer; Afroamerikaner; Asian immigrant; Chinese; United States; Asiatischer Einwanderer; Chinesen; USA; Latin America; People; Lateinamerika; Bevölkerung; Volk; Hispanoamerikaner; Niedriglohn; Immigrant; Immigrantin; Immigranten; Mittelschicht; Ethnizität
Abstract	Many young children pass through a stage of gender appearance rigidity; girls insist on wearing dresses, often pink and frilly, whereas boys refuse to wear anything with a hint of femininity. In 2 studies, we investigated the prevalence of this apparent hallmark of early gender development and its relation to children's growing identification with a gender category. Study 1a examined the prevalence of this behavior and whether it would exhibit a developmental pattern of rigidity followed by flexibility, consistent with past research on identity-related cognitions. Interviews with 76 White, middle-class parents and their 3- to 6-year-old children revealed that about two thirds of parents of 3- and 4-year-old girls and almost half (44%) of parents of 5- and 6-year-old boys reported that their children had exhibited a period of rigidity in their gender-related appearance behavior. Appearance rigidity was not related to parents' preferences for their children's gender-typed clothing. Study 1b examined whether cognitive theories of identity development could shed light on gender appearance rigidity. The more important and positive children considered their gender and the more children understood that gender categories remain stable over time (gender stability), the more likely children were to wear gender-typed outfits. In Study 2, we extended this research to a more diverse population and found that gender appearance rigidity was also prevalent in 267 4-year-old children in the United States from African American, Chinese, Dominican, and Mexican immigrant low-income backgrounds. Results suggest that rigid gender-related appearance behavior can be seen among young children from different backgrounds and might reflect early developing cognitions about gender identity. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01