BBC Article "Boys prefer cars from early on"

[skiari]

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8624999.stm

Researchers put a range of toys near children aged 9 to 36 months. They found the children were more likely to choose gender-typed toys and colours. "Boys went straight for the ball and the black car, and girls went to the teddy bear and the doll."

The researcher thinks this demonstrates "an intrinsic bias in children to show interest in particular kinds of toys" but admits that "Children of this age are already subject to a great deal of socialisation".

I wonder why they are not considering that this socialisation could completely explain the results?

If children are already given, or encouraged to play with, gender-specific toys at home, at nursery, at toddler groups and at friends' homes, then surely this would explain the results of the survey? Especially if the parents or carers think that children are "intrinsically" more likely to prefer gender-specific toys and so tend to give them those.

What do you think?

I don't think it would be a problem if boys were 'allowed' to do the same. Children like to play grown ups and looking after kids seems similar to pretend cooking and stuff.

Male and female brains are different by nature - female brains have bigger communication and emotional memory centres, for example.

In short we are from birth what we become known for in later life (in general, ts and cs apply etc...)

Good book to read is The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine. Surprised me I must say!