Poster #75 - Examining race and parental bias as two potential moderators of children’s attitudes towards gender-nonconformity

• In Event: Poster Session 08

Abstract

From a young age, children prefer gender conforming (GC) peers to gender nonconforming (GNC) peers (Blakemore, 2003; Kwan et al., 2020; Zucker et al., 1995; Skočajić et al., 2020) which may contribute to the difficulty GNC children face in forming close social relationships (e.g., Wallien et al., 2010; Toomey at al., 2013). Although the majority of research has focused on perceptions of White GNC children, youth of color are more likely to identify as GNC than their White peers (Williams Institute, 2021). How children evaluate GNC peers who differ in race is largely unknown. The present work investigates this question as well as how parents might contribute to children’s biases against gender-nonconformity.

Study 1 (N=170 , Mage=5.77, range= 2.20-12.96, 62% female, 38% male, 39% White, 14% Black, 5% Asian, 4% Hispanic/Latinx, 1% MENA, 16% multiracial) presented participants with photos of White, Black, and Asian GC and GNC children (see Figure 1). Contrary to hypotheses, there was no significant interaction between stimulus race and stimulus gender, though children significantly preferred gender conforming peers of all races (b = .15, t = 2.12, p = .03).

Study 2 (N=147 , Mage=7.04, range= 2.77-11.96, 60% female, 39% male, 60% White, 10% Black, 12% NBPOC, 1% multiracial) conceptually replicated Study 1 and also explored whether parental biases influence children’s attitudes towards gender nonconforming peers. Children first indicated how much they would like to be friends with four gender-matched stimuli, then heard about a birthday party for which the host child’s parents either did not like their child to play with gender nonconforming kids (prejudice condition) or liked their child to play with all kinds of kids (control condition). In peer rankings (see Figure 1), children again preferred gender conforming peers; furthermore, children in the prejudice condition demonstrated even stronger preferences for gender conformity compared to children in the control condition (𝝌2(1) = 4.64, p = .03; see Figure 2).

Together, these studies affirm that children have an enduring preference for gender conformity, despite cultural changes that may present children with more flexible ideas about gender identity and gender roles. Further, adults’ prejudice against gender nonconformity may motivate children to express more prejudice themselves, suggesting a likely pathway through which relative dislike of gender nonconforming children arises. Future work might explore interactions between race and gender conformity in implicit rather than explicit outcome measures, and investigate whether adults’ egalitarian views can attenuate children’s prejudice against gender nonconforming children.

Authors

• Elizabeth Szanton, Boston College
  Presenting Author

• Ryan Lei, Haverford College