Factors affecting infant toy preferences: Age, gender, experience, motor development, and parental attitude

Abstract

In contrast to the anecdotal claim that “male infants like cars and female infants like dolls,” previous studies have reported mixed findings for gender‐related toy preferences in infancy. In Experiment 1, we explored the emergence of gender‐related preferences using face–car pairs (Experiment 1a, n = 51, 6–20 months) or face–stove pairs (Experiment 1b, n = 54, 6–20 months). In Experiment 2 (n = 42, 14–16 months), we explore the effect of toy properties, infants' past toy exposure, activity levels, and parental attitudes on such preferences using a wider range of toys. For both studies, infants demonstrated a general preference for faced stimuli over other objects, except for male infants who showed no preference between dolls and cars at around 15 months. Infants' prior experience participating in motor‐intensive activities, with wheeled toys and parental attitudes appeared to relate to female infants' preferences for dynamic toys. These results indicate a range of factors influence gendered toy preferences and suggest that nurture plays an important role.

Superior Detection of Faces in Male Infants at 2 Months

“…For example, in a mother–infant interaction paradigm (i.e., face‐to‐face still‐face) at 6 months of age, males spent proportionately more time engaging with their mothers, and were more distressed when mothers stopped responding, often producing more intense negative responses and attempts to reengage their mothers in the social interaction (Weinberg et al, 1999). Furthermore, male infants’ eye gaze toward social, relative to non‐social, toys (e.g., dolls vs. cars) declines with age between 6 and 20 months, modulated by parental attitudes about gender norms (Liu, Escudero, Quattropani, & Robbins, 2020). Together, the current study and previous findings expose the developmental complexity of sex differences.…”

Rosa Puppe und blaues Auto? – Spielzeug und Gender

“…In diesem Alter ziehen sie Puppen bzw. Gesichter gegenüber mechanischen Objekten und Spielmaterialien vor 18 , 19 .…”

“…Eltern scheinen sich darüber im Klaren zu sein, dass eine stereotypische Trennung von Geschlechtern und damit verbundenen Verhaltensweisen sowie Interessen problematisch ist. Jedoch ist ihnen nicht bewusst, dass sie dies durch ihre eigene Spielzeugwahl verstärken können 19 . Das Spielzeug im häuslichen Umfeld beeinflusst die Entwicklung des Kindes stärker als kurzfristige Spielangebote in der Therapie 22 .…”

Toy Preferences among 3-to-4-Year-Old Children: The Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors and Developmental Characteristics

“…Certain studies of child development and play have dealt with some aspects of the speci cs of toys and their choice (Davis et al, 2020;Francis, 2010;Mertala et al, 2016;Wynberg et al, 2022;Fleer, 2022). Mostly, such works were focused on children's gender and age as the main factors determining their preferences (Ban et al, 2022;Hassett et al, 2008;Liu et al, 2020;Mertala et al, 2016). Only very few studies were in fact related to the role of individual psychological predictors of toy preferences (Francis, 2010;Liu et al, 2020).…”

“…Mostly, such works were focused on children's gender and age as the main factors determining their preferences (Ban et al, 2022;Hassett et al, 2008;Liu et al, 2020;Mertala et al, 2016). Only very few studies were in fact related to the role of individual psychological predictors of toy preferences (Francis, 2010;Liu et al, 2020). Some of them were conducted within the framework of the cultural-historical approach.…”