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Preschool Children with Gender Normative and Gender Non-Normative Peer Preferences: Psychosocial and Environmental Correlates

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Abstract

We addressed several issues concerning children who show gender non-normative (GNN) patterns of peer play. First, do young children with GNN peer preferences differ from children with gender normative (GN) peer preferences in problem behaviors? Second, do GNN and GN children differ in sociability and isolation and do they have differential socialization opportunities with externalizing, internalizing, and socially competent peers? We employed a Bayesian approach for classifying children as GNN based on their peer preferences as compared to their peers using a sample of Head Start preschool children from a large Southwestern city (N = 257; 53 % boys; M age = 51 months; 66 % Mexican American). To calculate socialization opportunities, we assessed affiliation to each child in the class and weighted that by each peer’s characteristics to determine the exposure that each child had to different kinds of peers. GN children of both sexes interacted more with same-sex peers, which may limit learning of different styles of interaction. As compared to GN children, GNN children exhibited more engagement in other-sex activities and with other-sex play partners and GNN children experienced somewhat fewer peer interactions, but did not differ on problem behaviors or social competence. Boys with GNN peer preferences had increased exposure to peers with problem behaviors. GNN girls experienced little exposure to peers with problem behaviors, but they also had little exposure to socially competent peers, which may reduce learning social skills from peers. Implications of these findings for future socialization and development will be discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported, in part, by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development awarded to Carol Martin, Richard Fabes, and Laura Hanish (1 R01 HD45816), and supplemental funding from NICHD for Francisco Palermo. The authors would like to thank the graduate and undergraduate students who contributed to this project and the children and teachers for their participation. Additionally, thanks to Phillip Briggs for preparation of some of the data. Portions of this research were presented at the Gender Development Conference (2006, 2008). Francisco Palermo is now at Colorado State University and Tyson Kreiger is now at Utica College. The second and third authors contributed equally.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-3701, USA

    Carol Lynn Martin, Matthew D. DiDonato, Laura Clary, Richard A. Fabes, Tyson Kreiger, Francisco Palermo & Laura Hanish

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  1. Carol Lynn Martin
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  2. Matthew D. DiDonato
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  3. Laura Clary
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  4. Richard A. Fabes
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  5. Tyson Kreiger
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  7. Laura Hanish
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Correspondence to Carol Lynn Martin.

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Martin, C.L., DiDonato, M.D., Clary, L. et al. Preschool Children with Gender Normative and Gender Non-Normative Peer Preferences: Psychosocial and Environmental Correlates. Arch Sex Behav 41, 831–847 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-9950-6

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