Gender Differences in Preschool Children's Commentary on Self and Other

Abstract

To examine gender differences in commentary about self and others in same- and mixed-gender contexts, the authors analyzed dyadic conversations involving 78 children in 5 preschool facilities. Compared to girls talking to girls, boy talking to boys made more statements with negative connotations for others and less often pointed out self-other similarities. No gender differences were observed in mixed-gender contexts. Compared to boys talking with boys, boys talking with girls spoke more frequently of similarities and abilities. Compared to girls with girls, girls with boys less often spoke descriptively or talked of activities and possessions and more often spoke of conduct, possibly in an effort to manage boys' behavior. Overall, the findings support a social-constructivist or contextual rather than a biological perspective on early gender differences.

Signaling of noncomprehension in communication breakdowns in fragile X syndrome, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder

“…However, one study of young Swedish children with DS found better parent-reported pragmatic language in girls compared to boys (Berglund, Eriksson, & Johansson, 2001). This study and the literature on sex differences in pragmatic skills in typical development (Austin et al, 1987; Cook et al, 1985; Kothari et al, 2013; Leaper, 1991; Sigelman & Holtz, 2013) together provide support for further examination of potential sex differences in DS.…”

“…In the case of FXS and DS, we also examine sex differences (data were not available from girls with idiopathic ASD). Sex differences in pragmatic language have been documented in typically developing children (Austin, Salehi, & Leffler, 1987; Cook, Fritz, McCornack, & Visperas, 1985; Kothari, Skuse, Wakefield, & Micali, 2013; Leaper, 1991; Sigelman & Holtz, 2013). However, girls with neurodevelopmental disabilities tend to be underrepresented in research, and determining how phenotypes in genetic conditions may be differentially expressed in males and females has important implications for understanding underlying pathophysiology and informing differential assessment and intervention practices (Messinger et al, 2015; Rinehart, Cornish, & Tonge, 2011; Thompson, Caruso, & Ellerbeck, 2003).…”

A Multimethod Analysis of Pragmatic Skills in Children and Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Down Syndrome

“…More surprisingly, in this study, girls with TD also initiated less frequently than girls with FXS-ASD and DS with large effect sizes (and marginally less than girls with FXS-O with a medium effect size) and were more nonresponsive than girls with FXS-O and DS (large effect sizes). As pragmatic sex differences in TD may be more sociocultural rather than biological in nature (Sigelman & Holtz, 2013), perhaps girls with FXS and DS are not picking up on social cues or being provided the same social cues as girls with TD. It is also possible that some girls with FXS or DS are more likely to initiate to control the conversation, thereby making it more predictable for them in light of cognitive or language deficits (i.e., a compensatory strategy).…”

A Multi-Method Investigation of Pragmatic Development in Individuals With Down Syndrome

“…Further, individuals with DS have been reported to demonstrate increased use of stereotyped language as compared to TD controls of a similar mental age (Laws & Bishop, 2004), though at lower rates than observed in other developmental disabilities, such as FXS or ASD (Abbeduto, Brady, & Kover, 2007; Martin, G. E., Roberts, Helm-Estabrooks, Sideris, & Assal, 2012; Roberts et al, 2007). Of note, studies of pragmatic abilities in DS have historically only included boys or combined sexes without examining sex differences, despite well-documented sex differences in pragmatic abilities in typical development (Berghout, Salehi, & Leffler, 1987; Cook, Fritz, McCornack, & Visperas, 1985; Kothari, Skuse, Wakefield, & Micali, 2013; Leaper, 1991; Sigleman & Holtz, 2013). As such, and because DS is not caused by mutations in the sex chromosomes, findings in boys with DS have often been generalized to girls (Finestack, Palmer, & Abbeduto, 2012; Keller-Bell & Abbeduto, 2007).…”