- Title
- I can run faster than him because I have faster shoes : Perceptions of competence and gender role stereotyping in children's imaginary friends
- Creator
- Coetzee, Hilda; Shute, Rosalyn
- Date
- 2003
- Type
- Text; Journal article
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/33247
- Identifier
- vital:2986
- Identifier
- ISSN:0009-4005
- Abstract
- This study aimed to replicate the findings of Harter and Chao (1992) of a gender difference in the competence of the imaginary friends created by children, and to examine their suggestion that this gender difference is due to children's understanding of gender role stereotypes. There were 61 children (20 boys and 41 girls) between the ages of 3 years and 7 years who participated. The gender difference was not replicated, as not only girls, but also boys, rated their imaginary friend as less competent than themselves. However, children's spontaneous comments were indicative of a gender difference in how children perceived this lower competence--in terms of nurturing (girls) or self-favoring social comparison (boys). Other gender differences in children's imaginary friends were also apparent. The relative competence of child and 'friend' was not related to how flexible children were in terms of gender-role stereotyping, and this adds to a growing body of evidence failing to demonstrate a link between children's gender stereotypes and their behavior.; C1
- Publisher
- USA State University of New York at Buffalo
- Relation
- Child Study Journal Vol. 33, no. 4 (2003), p. 257-272
- Rights
- Copyright State University of New York at Buffalo
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- 1701 Psychology
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