Determinants of Children's Sex Stereotyping

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Abstract
This article explores how sex stereotyping among young children is linked to their parents' sex-role traits and to their television viewing patterns. Forty children were interviewed to obtain two measures of sex stereotyping and two measures of their television viewing habits. Parents completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory to assess their sex-role traits. The data indicate that parental sex roles and the tendency to watch educational television programs are significantly related to children's sex typing of toys and occupations. Total amount of television viewing did not correlate with stereotyping. Both parents seem to play an important role in their children's acquisition of sex-role stereotypes. However, there was evidence of a stronger maternal influence over toy stereotypes and a stronger paternal influence over occupation stereotypes. Results also indicated that daughters may be more influenced by parents'sex roles than are sons.