Ability and preference for toys: Parents’ and children’s perceptions about play and gender

• In Event: Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Topic - Cognitive Processes

Abstract

Early play experiences can support children’s learning, and parents’ and children’s beliefs about play may influence these experiences. Spatial play is associated with spatial skills, and both spatial play and spatial skills show gender differences (Jirout & Newcombe, 2015; Linn & Petersen, 1985; Voyer et al., 1995). To better understand influences on play, we assessed parent and child gendered beliefs about play with spatial and non-spatial toys, children’s toy preferences, and the relations between parent and child beliefs. We also explored whether gendered beliefs apply to screen media use, as digital play is increasingly present in children’s lives and may support learning (Pappas, 2020).

Children (N = 60, M = 64.94 months, SD = 10.82; 50% female) reported gender beliefs for toys and screen media, responding about both ability and preference, and reported their favorite toy (see Figure 1). Parents similarly reported gender beliefs through a questionnaire about ability and preference for toys. Ratings were collapsed to form categories of spatial toys (blocks, construction toys, and puzzles), non-spatial toys (books, balls, and drawing tools), and screen media (tablets and computers).

As expected, parents reported that spatial toys are preferred more by boys (t(59) = -3.61, p = .001), and non-spatial toys are preferred more by girls (t(59) = 4.30, p < .001). Parents also believed that girls are better at playing with non-spatial toys (t(59) = 3.11, p = .003), but they rated boys and girls as neutral for playing with spatial toys (t(59) = -0.55, p = .585), as well as for both preference and ability with screen media (p values ≥ .060). Initial analyses suggested children did not differentiate by gender for preference or ability with any toy types (p values ≥ .24), however exploratory analyses demonstrated that children displayed a consistent egocentric response of choosing their own gender across all toys (F(1,58) = 20.65, p < .001; see Figure 2). Parents’ beliefs were unrelated to children’s beliefs (Spearman rank-order correlations ≤ .07), with the exception of spatial toy preference (rs = .28, p = .033), possibly due to children’s own-gender response pattern. When asked to choose their favorite toy, digital devices were chosen most frequently (42%) and equally by boys and girls (X^2 (1, N = 60) = 0.617, p = .432). Girls were significantly more likely than boys to choose non-spatial toys (X^2 (1, N = 60) = 5.934, p = .015), and although boys chose spatial toys more often than girls, the difference was not significant (X^2 (1, N = 60) = 3.354, p = .07).

Parent beliefs, such as about gender and toys, can influence children’s beliefs and play opportunities. Boys play more with spatial toys, perhaps because of gender beliefs held by either parents, as children’s beliefs in this study were egocentric or neutral. Future research can further explore the role parents play in boys’ and girls’ differential experience with spatial play, as such play could serve as a valuable opportunity to promote spatial development and engagement in STEM subjects for all children.

Group Authors

Shoronda Erica Matthews, Sierra Eisen, & Jamie Jirout

Authors

• Shoronda Erica Matthews, Boston University
  Presenting Author

• Sierra Eisen, Wesleyan University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jamie J Jirout, University of Virginia - Charlottesville
  Non-Presenting Author