Sexualized gender stereotypes in early adolescence: Differences based on gender, family, media, and group norms

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: PS 14 Topic - Sex, Gender

Abstract

Previous research has shown that by middle school, adolescents actively endorse sexualized gender stereotypes (SGS; Brown, 2019; Ward, 2002). These stereotypes include the notion that women and girls are most valued as sexual objects and men and boys should be solely focused on women’s bodies (rather than their personalities). The endorsement of these stereotypes is associated with lowered academic efficacy and motivation for girls over time, as well as increased perpetration of boys’ sexual harassment of girls (Brown, 2019; Jewell, Brown, & Perry, 2015). Previous work has primarily examined the effects of SGS endorsement, but has not yet examined which factors predict adolescents’ SGS endorsement. Taking a bioecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1994) to address this gap, the current study focused on the microsystems of the family (e.g., socialization via brothers/sisters) and peers (e.g., peer norms around sexual harassment); the macrosystem of media (e.g., consumption of music videos); and the individual differences between early adolescents (e.g., differences in felt gender typicality) in predicting sexualized gender stereotype endorsement among boys and girls.
Participants were 142 seventh grade students from four public middle schools (43 boys and 99 girls), ranging in age from 11 to 14 (M = 12.44, SD = 0.61). The sample consisted of 43.7% White/European American, 20.4% Latinx/Hispanic, 20.4% Black/African American, 2.1% Asian, and 13.4% multiracial (mostly Black/White or Latinx/White) participants. Across all participating middle schools 49%-85% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch. Students were asked questions about their gender typicality, family composition, hours of music videos watched, and their perceptions of peers’ acceptance of sexual harassment. They then completed assessment of their endorsement of both the women as sex objects (WSO) and men as sex-focused (MSF) subscales of the sexualized gender stereotypes measure.
Results differed for boys and girls. For boys, WSO-SGS was positively predicted by peers’ acceptance of sexual harassment (B = .45, t(35) = 2.95, p = .006) and hours of music videos watched (B = .36, t(36) = 2.25, p = .03). For girls, WSO-SGS was positively predicted by gender typicality (B = .35, t(85) = 3.40 p = .002) and hours of music videos watched (B = .25, t(84) = 2.57, p = .01). There were no significant predictors of MSF-SGS for boys. For girls, MSF-SGS was positively predicted by both hours of music videos watched (B = .37, t(86) = 3.74, p < .001) and number of brothers (B = .26, t(82) = 2.48, p = .02). Taken together, these findings suggest that boys’ attitudes about women are more strongly influenced by peer norms (vs. family socialization), whereas girls’ attitudes about men are more strongly influenced by family socialization rather than peer norms. Additionally, viewing music videos was associated with increased endorsement of SGS for both boys and girls. Implications for social development are discussed.

Authors

• Michelle Tam, University of Kentucky
  Presenting Author

• Christia Spears Brown, University of Kentucky
  Non-Presenting Author