Why do boys play with trucks and girls play with dolls? If you choose to complete this assignment for course credit, please do the following:
- Explain how socialization plays a role in toy preference in children.
- Read this article about the hormonal influences of toy preference.
- Summarize the article.
- Based on what you know about the socialization of toy preference and what was presented in the article, what are your opinions about why boys tend to play with trucks and girls with dolls?
Boys enjoy colors such as green and blue while vrooming their cars around and kicking a soccer ball. While girls, like lots of pink things, like to play with each others hair, and play dress up. That is the way that male and female gender roles have been established and at a very young age. Socialization plays a very vital role in the toy preference of children because they are young and not established in their ideas of what they want so therefore they look to their parents, other children, and societal figures to tell them what they need to do next. We would never hand a doll to a young boy and say have fun but I know I was the little girl who liked riding fore-wheeler and playing power-rangers with the boys, of course I had to be the pink one but the fact is that society plays a huge role in the toy preference of children.
ReplyDeleteThis article entitle, "Gender and Toys:Monkey Study Suggests Hormonal Basis for Children's Toy Preference," discusses the aspect of how and why children play with the toys they do and does it have to do with more biological or psychological factors. Research has been conducted stating that babies exposure to hormones while they are in the womb cause toy preferences to emerge precisely after birth. While a psychologist states that the toy attraction occurs very early in life, long before it can be socialized but many research projects say the same. It is hard to test why someone is attracted to a certain object. Many say its an evolutionary factor that girls like more social stimuli and that factor is weaker in boys but their mental rotation is so much more powerful than that of girls.
I think that it factors into the idea like I had mentioned earlier that the men need to play with masculine things while the girls enjoy the more feminine toys. While this is not the case in most situations like I had mentioned, I grew up with all boys and they were my societal influence. I did what they wanted to do unless I had to play by myself with my dolls. I was influenced highly by the people I grew up with and the toys my parents gave me access too. I think that it goes back to the social norm that little boys will play with the trucks while the girls go off and play with their dolls because those are the toys that have been influenced to specify your specific gender.
Socialization plays a huge role when boys and girls are younger. When boys and girls are babies they look up to their parents to what they are doing. Little boys look up to their dads because they don't know anything else. And they see their dad's doing most of the work outside, not playing with things that are pink or dolls. While babies are young and can't tell their parents what they want to play with and this is when they get the classic truck to play with. A truck or some kind of ball is the normal gift you get for a little boy for his birthday.
ReplyDeleteThe article talks about what makes boys play with trucks and balls over a doll. When people started to look at why boys like trucks over dolls, the researchers noticed that even boy monkeys like the toys with wheels too. One study talked about how babies exposed to hormones while in the womb is the cause of which type of toy they want to play with. I would have never guessed or even thought that being exposed to a hormone would make you like a certain toy. I would think that you like the certain kind of toys that were given to you while you were young, which is a stereotype to give boys trucks and ball and to give girls something pink and a doll. Overall I thought this article was very interesting. If I have never read that article I would have never understood why boys like trucks over dolls.
Socialization has a large impact on what toys children play with in many ways. Parents are still raising their children to fulfill gender stereotypes whether they are conscious of it or not. We automatically expect boys to want to play with cars/trucks and legos. We also expect them to want to do sports, so parents often put their male children in sports while they are still young and/or buy them kids sports equipment to play with at home. On the other hand, girls are expected to be cute, sweet, and in love with pink. Girls typically are given Barbies and other types of dolls. They are also allowed to play dress-up while boys would generally be told no if they did.
ReplyDeleteThe article talked about research done to see if socialization really does play a role in what toys children want to play with .The research found that the boys do indeed tend to focus on the toys that are boy-oriented, such as balls and trucks. Girls would look to the doll and hold their gaze there. One thing I found very interesting is that researchers wonder if girls look to the doll because evolution has caused them to focus on people and society first. Boys, on the other hand, have more spatial capacity than girls and that could be why they prefer things with wheels, like trucks, or are made for moving, like balls. What caused the toy preference outcomes was discussed more at the end of the article and various ideas about what caused the boys to prefer the “boy” toys and what led the girls to enjoy “girl” toys.
I agree with evolution and differences within male and female bodies and minds as to why boys and girls tend to prefer toys geared toward their gender. I believe that there are significant differences in male and female minds as well as bodies, and both genders aren’t always going to want the same things. However, I do believe that if boys want to play with dolls and if girls want to play with trucks, they should be encouraged to do so. My aunt kept her Barbies from when she was growing up in the 1980’s and her boys loved them. I think children are going to play with whatever toys they have, but if given a preference, they will generally go for what looks the most fun to them. This may or may not be decided completely through hormones, but I believe that hormones have a lot to do with what choices they make regarding toys.
Socialization is what society tells us is acceptable and what/how we need to act in order to survive in our culture. This socialization process plays a role in gender and toy preference through many, many years of gender expectancies, norms and behavior and come up with the result that boys are supposed to play with trucks and balls and girls are supposed to play with dolls.
ReplyDeleteThe article talks about how maybe it isn’t socialization that has brought us to this result of it being acceptable for boys to play with trucks and girls to play with dolls but that it is biological. Their studies have found that girls with higher levels of male sex hormones typically like to play with the balls and trucks more than the dolls, in the same way that boys with higher sex hormones are also more like to spend time playing with the trucks and balls.
I personally think that both socialization as well as hormone levels take part in boys and girls choices in toys. Obviously it is more acceptable for a girl to play with a doll rather than a truck, so socialization definitely plays a roll, but the article’s information about the monkey’s and their preferences without socialization provides a very good argument for the biological side of the toy preference.
Socialization plays a huge role in toy preference in children. Society expects boys to play with trucks and girls to play with dolls. When babies are born, it is necessary that the only color clothes that the boys wear are blue, red, and green. The only color clothes that the girls wear are pink, purple, and yellow. Boys are expected to start playing sports when they are very young, and girls are not as likely to play sports, but if they do then it should be more along the lines of dance or gymnastics. Boys are allowed to get dirty, while girls are not.
ReplyDeleteThe article talks about how socialization may not be the reason why boys play with trucks and why girls play with dolls. The result may be biological. In a research experiment male adolescent monkeys also prefer to play with wheeled vehicles while the females prefer dolls. New and ongoing research suggests babies' exposure to hormones while they are in the womb causes their toy preferences to emerge soon after birth.
After reading this article I think that socialization and hormone levels both play a role in what types of toys boys and girls play with. Research has strong evidence about the biological side but I also think that socialization plays huge role because society expects boys to play with trucks and girls to play with dolls.
Socialization plays a role in the preference of toys in children in the way that gender roles taught to children for them to use as future reference. It is typical of young girls to play with dolls, and later on in life they will have to care for their own young in the same way they care for their baby dolls. It's not typical for the women to ever have to repair their own car, or want to learn how, where as boys who play with trucks and cars while young will grow up to have more general knowledge about such topics.
ReplyDeleteThis article, however, presents an alternative explanation to toy preference among children. It is thought that the amount of exposure to hormones in the womb can cause their toy preference to make itself present even as a baby. This was tested by eye tracking babies to see what toys they were fixed on before they were even able to play with them. This is interesting because this is before the attraction could have been socialized, because they are at a young age. Some other possibilities given include that girls have evolved to perceive social stimuli, while the boys are weaker at this, and also that men tend to tend to develop superior spatial navigation abilities by rotating their preferred toys: balls, etc., in the mind.
After reading the article, I'd say that hormones have a huge effect of toy preference, but socialization is what gives it a backbone as the child grows older. Obviously, someone is going to buy "girl toys" for their baby girl and "boy toys" for their baby boy, whether they've shown a preference to one or the other yet, or whether they're old enough to have a say. Put the kid in an environment where both types of toys are present, and they'll probably follow suit of other kids, or take what they're used to having.
When we are young, we are often encouraged or forced to play with “appropriate” toys. Girls are encouraged to play with dolls, and boys are encouraged to play with trucks. Society believes this to be the acceptable way for multiple reasons. Girls are supposed to be the nurturers of the family and are supposed to take care of children when they grow up. Society encourages girls to play with dolls, so they will learn how to nurture their children later in life. Boys are supposed to be the moneymakers of the family and know how to fix everything. Boys are supposed to grow up to be manly, and manly means avoiding dolls at all costs. The boys are encouraged to play with trucks.
ReplyDeleteThe article shows that society is not the only aspect that plays into who plays with what. This article suggests that hormonal differences at a young age are why we play with certain toys. The hormone test was also shown in monkeys, where the female monkey played with the doll and the male monkey played with the truck. The researchers tested this by studying boy and girl’s eye movement and certain hormonal levels. The study also showed that boys seem to be more active, regardless of what toy they are playing with.
I was a complete tom-boy and animal-lover when I was younger. I still kind of am. I was a very busy little girl, and dolls could not keep my attention. If we played house, I was always the dog or some kind of animal. My mother could not make me wear pink, and I hated doing my hair. I would much rather play with a truck than a doll. I was very active and played sports with the boys at recess. I still do not like the typical girly things such as shopping or getting dressed up. You’d be much more likely to find me at the gym than at the mall.
Socialization is very important aspect to children when they are younger. When boys and girls are younger, they look up to their parents and older siblings to know how to interact with others and those around them. Not only in the ways to act, but also what kind of toys to play with and what they should be interested in. Such as little boys will pay more attention to what their fathers and older brothers do, while young girls will pay closer attention to what their mothers and older sisters do. For girls, we expect them to want to play with dolls, make-up, dress-up, dance, and other sorts of “feminine things.” While boys are expected to play with trucks, cars, participate in sports, and other “masculine” activities. This article discussed how socialization does not necessarily cause the monkeys to choose male or female toys. The male monkeys would play with the balls or trucks, while the females would play with the dolls. This is not necessarily because of the nurture aspect of raising a child, but it could be also linked to the nature part of it. In this study, it found that females with higher levels of male sex hormones are more likely to play with trucks and balls. The researchers believe part of the toy preference is hormones that are exposed to the child in the womb before they are born and not all socialization.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I believe both play a large role in what a child prefers to play with. If a girl child is never really exposed to trucks or male toys, she will most likely go for a doll or Barbie, because that is what she is familiar with. Though, the new research coming out about the biological effects are very interesting, it will be exciting to see what more research is done on this and what they will be able to conclude about this nature versus nurture debate.
Socialization in children and how they interact depends on their environment. The interactions deal mostly with play at young age. Boys and girls play with different varieties of toys although some are cross gender. Boys playing with trucks and girls playing with dolls most likely come from age old tradition. Parents start by buying gender different toys so that is what the child is introduced to. When playing they see other kids of the same gender playing with the same types of toys and thus the socialization continues. The article starts but stating that society has no influence on toy selection. A study with monkeys that was conducted shows that this toy preference comes from biological factors that occur from hormones while in the womb. Eye tests led to the discovery of more testosterone in males during a young age. Further research confirmed this was because of the testosterone levels experienced. Boys with more testosterone are more active, but being more active is not a reason why boys prefer toys. Social stimuli are weaker in males, but males are more special thinkers. These are reasons why boys choose more dimensional objects. I think that boys play with these toys because of biological factors. I also think they continue to play with them because of competition.
ReplyDeleteSocialization has an important role in how a young child chooses which toy to pick up and play with: the truck or the baby doll? Typically little girls choose baby dolls and little boys choose trucks. Why, you might ask? From an early age children look up their parents and classmates in school. Whether or not they realize it, they choose toys similar as to what their parents point them toward (by buying them certain toys) and what their friends play with at school.
ReplyDeleteIn the article we were to read it discussed how hormones babies receive in the womb inspire what he/she will be drawn to once born. The same goes for monkeys as well. Male monkeys were just as drawn to gender different toys as humans were. One study showed boys' testosterone heightened while looking at toy trucks versus baby dolls.
I have always been interested in figuring out why people choose certain things over the other. That being said, I was incredibly interested in how children choose their toy preference. As outrageous as it sounds that hormones passed along during pregnancy is what causes children to choose a toy truck or doll, I completely agree with it. After pondering the thought for a few minutes it makes perfect sense as to why hormones make such a huge impact of a thing as simple as toy preference. I also think socialization is a huge factor in why trucks are chosen over dolls for boys and vise versa. If all of my friends played with trucks I would have, too probably. And a part of me did play with trucks because I was a bit of a tom boy when I was young. My dad always played toys with me and sometimes we would play barbies but I'm guessing the days he didn't want to play Ken are the days he pulled out his secret weapon: toy dirtbikes and 4-wheelers.
Gender role socialization occurs to children ultimately when they are first born. When a couple finds out that they are expecting a baby the first question that is usually asked is whether it is going to be a boy or a girl, and whether they are going to paint the baby room blue or pink. This socialization continues with parents, teachers, and peers giving them gender specific toys to play with, such a toy trucks for boys and Barbies for girls. If you walk into any toy store it isn’t difficult to tell which isles are dedicated for boys and which are for the girls. It has been scientifically proven that when babies are born they have no idea what gender they are, leading to the belief that they learn what gender they are through their parents, family, teachers, and peers usually through the means of toys or clothing.
ReplyDeleteThis article explains how research has proven that male babies show preference to toys such as trucks and girl babies show preference to female-typical toys due to the level of exposure they have had to different types of hormones during gestation. This has been shown through examples of female babies that were exposed to high levels of a male sex hormone, and in return preferred more male-typical toys. Since this was based on the eye movement of these babies, it has been speculated that high levels of testosterone may cause these types of preferences because babies with high levels of male hormones may be attracted to these toys either because they are more interesting or because they portray higher levels of activity.
I personally believe that children play with the toys that their parents, teachers, and friends provide for them, and because for the most part girls are provided with more female-typical toys and males are provided with more male-typical toys, this is the result.
Socialization is an idea of what society tells is appropriate for a boy and girl to do. It is what our brains tell us is acceptable so we can survive in society. This concept explains why children play with their gender designated toys. For instance, a boy would be genetically drawn to a toy car as opposed to a baby doll. The article discussed why and how socialization takes place. The research shows that hormone exposure while in the womb creates this affect. The research also proved that boys do gravitate towards generally masculine things and girls reach for more “girly” toys. I agree with this idea. When I was younger, my mom and my sister and I were driving home. On the way home we saw a group of boys pulling a bike into a tree. My mom was shocked and couldn’t stop saying “girls would never do something like that.” This memory stocks out in my head for some reason. However, my mom was completely right. My sister and I would have never had the desire to be outside lifting a bike into a tree. However, the second we bought new Barbie outfits we were quick to disappear and play. Neither of us were considered to be "tom-boys." So in my house, the idea of socialization fits us perfectly.
ReplyDeleteSocialization is different in every culture and in different areas of the country. Socialization is what everybody thinks is the right way or right thing to do. It is looked at as boys play with trucks and girls play with dolls. The area where I grew up it was not uncommon for fathers to even give their daughters balls to play with in the hopes they will become athletes or they had just daughters as kids and never had the boy they had hoped for. The article talks about how hormone exposure in the womb can play a role in what toys the kids play with. If the girls are exposed to a lot of androgen then they might have the tendency to play with trucks or balls. I find it hard to believe some of the research, because what explains a boy wanting to play with dolls? For me being a parent of all girls it was easy for them to go straight to the girly toys because that was all there was around the house. And they didn't really have any exposure to boys toys until they was almost in grade school. So it was easy for them to fit into socialization and choose the right gender appropriate toy.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to say why girls usually go straight to dolls and boys go to trucks. My thoughts are what they are exposed to more. If a father has a daughter and keeps showing her trucks and balls she is probably going to play with them more till she gets to an age and realizes that this is not what she wants to play with or that it isn't the right toy for her. And the same goes for a guy, if all you show him is trucks and balls that is all he will want to play with. And at a young age it is easy for boys and girls to see older boys and girls doing certain things and it is kind of like a trying to fit in thing, if they want to play with these other kids they are going to play with the same kind of toys they are playing with just so they fit in.
Socialization plays a major role when it comes to toy preference in children. Male children are more likely to look up to their fathers and are going to act and play with toys that resemble men such as toy trucks or a football. A girl is probably going to look up to her mother who is nurturing, cooking, and caring so the girl is more likely to play with dolls, playhouses, or even a toy kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThis article looks into this idea of gender and toys and found that it may possibly be biology that plays a key role in children and their toy preferences. Hormones that develop in the womb may also be a contributing factor when it comes to toy preference. Boys with higher levels of testosterone tended to play with trucks and balls and were more active that girls who were more stationary and preferred playing with dolls and each others hair. But girls who had higher levels of testosterone chose to play with the trucks and balls rather than the dolls. I think that this study really showed and made a good point on why children choose to play with certain toys. Although I think that biology does play a role in toy preference, I think that the major contributing factor is how the parents act around the child and what they want the child to play with.
A large aspect of toy preferences in children is based on socialization with their parents. Parents are the first socialization that a child is going to have and they are the ones who provide the children with their toys. The typical male toy is going to be trucks or anything sports related while girls will get the dress-up clothes and Barbie dolls. Because this is what the parents provide, these are the gender-based toys that the children will get and being young children, they will most likely enjoy anything that their parents buy for them. Another point is that the male child of the family will enjoy hanging out and doing things that the father will do and the female child will enjoy more of what the mother does because they are the same gender and will look to them as a role model.
ReplyDeleteThis article discusses a study done with monkeys that provided information about toy preferences based on a hormonal influence. They found that hormones in the womb influence the toy preferences of males and females. Also, evolution plays a role because of the jobs and duties that genders had in survival and everyday life of ancestors. These embedded roles also play a role in the toy preference of certain genders. Based on very early signs of toy preference, hormones have shown to be a great influence because they are made before the child has even had time to socialize. It is also discussed that when some hormones are at high levels, this may cause certain toy preferences due to certain physical abilities that those children will have. Lastly, it is discussed that the roles of our ancestors such as hunters for males may play a large part of the preferences because of what kind of activities were entailed with hunting. The concept that females may find more appealing is a lot of the time human figures because they enjoy socializing with others more than boys do and that may be a reason why girls enjoy playing with dolls.
In my opinion, I think that the socialization aspect is more influential for toy preference because parents are the first ones that the children socialize with and they look up to their parents as role models. The parents are the ones who buy and provide the toys for the children before they are able to really know what kind of toys that they would prefer. Because the parents know what kind of toys boys and girls usually play with, they pick out the gender-based toys for their children and most likely the children will play with those toys and become associated with those types of toys.
Socialization plays a large role in the toy selection among children. According to the text, “because society labels people, characteristics, behavior, and activities by gender, children learn that gender is an important social category.” Children learn at such young ages what is acceptable for them based on their gender labels, and therefore they begin to associate toys that are compatible with such labels. The textbook describes in detail four different sources that contribute to such gender-role socialization: (1) parents, (2) peers, (3) schools, and (4) the media. The article provided discusses another factor that may contribute to toy selection among children, hormones. According to the article, Gerianne Alexander found that infant boys’ testosterone levels correlated with the length of time they spent looking at male-typical toys rather than female-typical toys. Another psychologist, Kim Wallen, has been studying this as well and has found similar results. She said “the striking thing about the looking data shows that the attraction to these objects occurs very early in life, before it’s likely to have been socialized.” Other research that was used to support the idea that hormones contribute to toy selection in children has to do with girls who have congenital adrenal hyperplasia (abnormally high levels of the male sex hormone androgen). This research found that girls with this condition were also more likely to prefer male-typical toys. Based on this article, toy selection among children contributes more to their hormones rather than socialization. After reading both ideas I would have to say that both hormones and socialization play a role in their toy selection. This is a battle between nature and nurture it seems that after several psychology classes it is only clear that there is not one sole contributor toward behavior. I believe hormones and genetic makeup play a role in childhood behavior, or toy selection, but only to a point. I would assume that hormones would be the initial contributor because, based on Wallen’s statement, it would be too soon for socialization to occur. However, socialization also contributes to such behavior once children begin engaging in their own personal experiences. For instance, if a male child were to play with a doll and received negative reactions from parents or peers they would most likely alter their behavior to reduce the amount of negative feedback. It is extremely difficult to prove that only one thing is the reason behind a lifetime of behaviors.
ReplyDeleteSocialization is thought to play a large role in toy preference for children. Due to social norms, a boy is given trucks, balls, and blue jeans while girls are given dollies, tea sets, and dresses. The parents do this because those things are part of the child’s societal gender identity.
ReplyDeleteThe given article provides that toy preference for children may not be guided by societal pressure on gender roles. Studies show boy monkeys pick trucks and female monkey prefer dolls, and there is no pressure in their society to do so. It is believed that these tendencies are hormone based. These hormones start taking effect on the different genders while the baby is still in the womb. As early as 3 months old a baby will fix its eyes on the respective toy according to its gender. Theory to support this are that women are more aware of social cues at that age while boys have superior spatial navigation abilities. They are not yet certain of the reasons, but they do know that it starts at a very early age, before socialization can take effect.
I believe that hormones do dictate a gender’s preference, and these hormones have shaped our past and our ideas about social norms. These are norms for historically it is what has been passed down, we are not forcing the children to play with these toys. It is just inherent in us. The socialization of the toy preference just further promotes these ideas that are already ingrained in or gender specific DNA. We do not frown upon a girl playing with a truck, for example, it just strikes us as wrong because of social norms we have grown up with.
Socialization occurs when people behave in a way that they feel is “expected” by their society. This causes people to behave in specific ways based on their age, gender, background, etc., in order to conform to what they have been socialized to think is normal. Little girls are often given dolls, playhouses, dished, etc. to play with while boys are given trucks, superheroes, action figures. This is done because it is expected that a boy should want to play with “manlier” items that fit the typical male gender role. Initially socialization plays a role in toy preference because parents tend to only expose their children to those toys that fit their gender role. After time, when children themselves become aware of gender roles, they will choose the items that fit the social norm.
ReplyDeleteStudies with baby monkeys have shown that male/female monkeys show a preference to the toys that we as a society consider the norm for female/male gender roles. The interesting thing is that monkeys do so without any outside influence. Therefore, it appears innate for girls to play with dolls while boys play with trucks. The newest research points to hormones in the womb that cause these preferences. Exposure to androgen during gestation, which is correlated with males’ interest in male gender norm toys, can be estimated by the ratio of index/ring fingers. Even girls who have high levels of androgen prefer the male gender norm toys. This affixation for toy associated with their gender begins prior to the age at which children even begin playing with toys. Another study disputes any suggestion that boys prefer these specific toys due to the high level of activity associated with them. It has been shown that boys will exhibit the same level of activity with a doll as they would with a truck, yet the truck is still preferred.
One suggestion for girls’ interest in dolls lies in an evolved preference for social stimuli, such as people, and thus, dolls. Boys, on the other hand, have a statistically higher ability to spatially rotate objects in their mind, thus toys like trucks, which can be navigated, may become more appealing.
Based on this article, I don’t think it can be argued that toy preference is based on 100% environmental factors. I think there is some role of hormones here. However, I think toy preference is largely influenced by the environment, i.e what parents place in front of their children. If a boy has always been given a doll, I think he will likely still play with the doll if other options are eventually displayed. I think, to an extent, kids play with what they are given. My brother is now 31, and I know that when he was young he hauled around a baby doll everywhere, and its name was Randy. My brother looks like a 6’4” lumberjack and is now married with kids. Yet he played with a doll. Boys play with trucks and girls play with dolls due to a combination of evolutionary, environmental, and biological factors.
Socialization can be described as what society/our culture tells us what is acceptable based on our age, gender, etc. It's extremely important for children as they grow, according to the article. The differences between boys and girls are often evident, as girls will usually choose to play with dolls and boys are more likely to want to play with trucks. What is discussed is whether this is due to biology or socialization.
ReplyDeleteThis all can be traced back to the age-old "nature vs. nurture" debate. Are we the way we are because of our environment or because of biological factors? According to the article, it can be a little of both. I found this to be really interesting, as I've learned a lot about biology as well as psychology about how there is always more than one way to look at a situation.
Having worked at a daycare for two years, I've definitely seen both innate and social differences. Did the boys play with cars and balls because they're boys? Maybe it's what they prefer, but I also watched a lot of little boys play with dolls and put on dresses during dress-up. I've always watched little girls choose the truck or bug coloring pages because they think spiders are cool. I think we as adults need to realize that it's okay for children to not be stuck in gender stereotypes and let them make their own decisions about what toys are fun to them, not because the girls "should" play with dolls and boys "should" want to play cars.
Socialization plays a huge role in the toy preference that children choose. Socialization is learned what is acceptable for people and the norms for each gender. Boys are associated with the color. They play with trucks, legos, and balls. Girls are associated with the color pink. They play with barbies, have tea parties, and play house. These children learn from their parents and the environment around them about what a norm for their gender. The article talks about the toy preferences might be based on hormone levels. They did two separate studies on monkeys both showing males like the trucks more. That the males are more visually attracted to the trucks. However in the article they do not know the specific if the activity level is due how much hormone or if it is because it is the specific hormone. The article suggests that the human image appeals to the girls while mental rotation such as trucks and balls appeal to boys. In my opinion children do tend to go to the gender norms but that does not mean that is how they always play. I was interested in my brother's trucks and he had tea parties with me. Just as long as the child is picking out what interests them. That it is their environment that impacts more than the biology I think.
ReplyDeleteWhen a mother is handed a new born there is two different colors the blanket will be. If the baby is a boy, their baby will be wrapped up in a blue blanket. But on the other hand, if the baby is a girl the baby will be wrapped up in a pink blanket. From birth it is being set what the baby will be like and be exposed to. It is very rare a young boy is given a doll to play with. Instead, he is encouraged to play with trucks or cars. This is a social norm everyone does and does not think twice about.
ReplyDeleteIn this article an experiment was constructed with monkeys to see hormonal effects when choosing toys. It states that the hormones given during pregnancy help babies fulfill the roles the genders before them did. Also, it was stated that this happens early in life before the babies have even been socialized. It sum up the article, even though the gender will play with either toy the gender norm toy will always be preferred.
I think this whole debate comes down to the concept of 'nature vs. nurture'. I personally think parents and other older kids shape and tell kids how to act and what to play with. This makes them all into the same norms and activities as everyone else. I believe it will always be a thing where boys play with trucks and girls play with dolls.
Socialization with toy preferences in children plays its role because boys are more prone to play with trucks and balls and girls mostly play with dolls. The roles between boys and girls are characterized at a young age.
ReplyDeleteThis article explains that in experiments conducted with monkeys, the males also chose to play with wheeled vehicles and females played with dolls. The monkey experiment was conducted with two different species and it had the same outcome with both. A psychology professor and her colleagues found that 3 and 4 month-olds boys’ testosterone levels correlates with how much time they spent looking at trucks and balls which was measured by an eye tracker. Newer studies show the toy preferences may be caused by hormones and at an early age of 3 months, the newborns already fixed their eyes on the toys associated with their gender. They also found out that an active toddler moved around just as much holding a truck or a doll. Males tend to develop superior spatial navigation abilities, and that may be why they tend to prefer balls and wheels.
I believe that the gender specific toys are programmed into our DNA and are now just social norms. I also think that since women are genetically more nurturing and motherly, then it only makes sense that a baby girl would prefer to play with a doll that looks like a little human. This also goes with men, they are programmed to be hunters and provide for the family and their spatial abilities will only improve when they play with balls and wheeled toys.
Socialization is what people believe to be social norms for each gender. It also seems to play a large role in the types of toys that children play with. The article, however, discussed a different possibility of why children play with the toys that they do. In studies done on monkeys, the researchers found that male monkeys also chose to play with trucks instead of dolls. Exposure to certain hormones while in the womb may be the cause of this choice. I think that it may be possible that this is a biological thing, but I also support that socialization plays a big part in this. Parents tend to buy their children toys based on their gender, so it is sometimes all that the children are exposed to which means that they do not necessarily have a choice. Even if their brains are telling them they want one thing, if they are only exposed to certain things, they may think that they are making their own choices even though they are not. I think it mostly depends on their parents and how they are raised.
ReplyDeleteSocialization is the acquirement of the norms and roles expected of people in a particular society. In society today, it is expected that girls play with dolls and Barbies and boys play with trucks and action figures. It is the same thing as socialization, where boys are expected to play with one type of toy and girls are expected to play with another.
ReplyDeleteThe article discusses how biology makes males play with trucks and girls play with dolls through an experiment with monkeys. New research suggests that babies exposure to hormones in the womb makes them acquire their preference as male and female pertaining to toys. It has been found that attraction to these preferences are made early in life before socialization is present.
Working at a daycare, I partly agree with the article and the biology behind it. Also, when kids enter daycare, no matter if they enter being an infant, toddler or pre-k, daycare has a role in what children choose to play with. With my daycare we put out a toy center, like trucks, for boys and dolls for the girls. In doing so, I think children learn what they are expected to play with. Also, as a daycare worker I have heard of parents not allowing their boy to play with dolls and vice versa, which I am strongly against because that can ruin the emotional and mental growth of a child.
I don't think socialization plays a really big part on toy preference in children. I think this because when children first start playing with toys, they're not always around other children to see how they play with toys. According to the article, when they did the experiment with the monkeys, they did not have any socialization in toy preference and males still preferred the trucks and balls over dolls. In the article it talks about how testosterone plays a big part in toys. Males have higher testosterone levels than females and they are more likely to pick toys that will be more active because of the levels. In my opinion I don't think socialization plays a huge role on toy preference. I think this because of the earlier statement about how babies aren't around other babies all the time while they start playing with toys. This shows that they don't have socialization to prefer a specific toy over another.
ReplyDeleteBut what about which toys they are given to play with in the first place. I agree with your point, but if parents are gender specific in the toys they give their children, is this a form of socialization?
DeleteWhen young boys and girls are seen playing, they are often doing so in a manner typical of their gender. For instance, boys are often found playing with toy cars, action figures, or some kind of sport. Girls, on the other hand, opt for tea sets, dolls, and "dress-up." Socialization with children of the same gender reinforces these stereotypical activities by allowing boys and girls to play games befitting their generalized gender roles in groups. As a result, what starts off as preference becomes a habit; this leads to the acceptance that boys are meant to play more actively and vigorously, and girls are more suited to activities that appeal to the emotions.
ReplyDeleteIn the given article, researchers were working to see if hormones play a bigger role in toy preference than was once thought. The answer? "New and ongoing research suggests babies' exposure to hormones while they are in the womb causes their toy preference to emerge soon after birth." By observing toy preferences in young monkeys, researchers found that not only did monkeys have a gender-specific preference for objects, they also exhibited said preference from a very early age. Similarly, toddlers and even 3-month old babies expressed an interest in objects that were typical of their gender. This leads researchers to believe that toy preference is not necessarily learned, as a 3-month old child does not have the mental capacity to understand how to play with the object chosen. Rather, children could be choosing toys simply based on which they find to be more interesting; exactly what draws their interest remains to be discovered.
I think that toy preference may not be learned at first, but it is certainly reinforced in the home and even more so once a child is around peers. Parents are the first and often strongest influence a child has, so merely watching what a father or mother figure does will bring about similar behavior in a child. Girls see their mothers as being, primarily, caretakers and emotional figures. By the time a young girl gets to school, the girls her age have been subject to similar influences in their own homes; girls can then play games typical of their gender together. Boys experience similar situations, but with the opposite influence: the father figure is often seen as one who does the heavy chores, watches/plays sports, and has a career. Therefore, when boys play together, they mimic such roles.
Socialization is the role society and other environmental factors play in determining genders roles, for examples girls preferring to play with dolls and boys preferring to play with trucks. Society impacts various gender stereotypes beginning at birth, pink for girls and blue for boys, in order to emphasize that despite all babies looking the same at birth, they are different and should be treated different. Since people will treat them different by how they are dressed and how people treat them, boys and girls eventually start to act different, girls more feminine and docile boys more masculine and active.
ReplyDeleteThe article portrays another point of from socialization. It says that their may be a genetic proponent to gender roles. It says that the amount of of exposure to testosterone in the womb can cause a preference to either masculine or feminine toys. The experimenters tested male adolescent monkeys and found they prefer to play with wheeled vehicles, masculine toys, while the females prefer doll, feminine toys. When replicated in human infants, with eye tracking, the study held true that males preferred trucks and females preferred dolls.
I personally think it doesn't matter. Children are going to play with whatever toys they want to play with and whatever their friends are playing with. Odds are its probably a mixture of both being genetically pre-dispositioned to liking the appropriate gender toys, but depending on the social circumstances the child's behavior can change. For example, my mom tried really hard to get me to play with Barbies because it was more “appropriate” but most of my friends were boys, so I played with their toys instead. So psych majors, leave your kids be.
Socialization plays a role in toy preference children. Children are encouraged to play with toys that associate them with their gender. For example, girls play with baby dolls and dress up clothes while boys play with cars and tool sets. Society expects children to play with the correct category of toys because it helps them define their gender association and place within society. Society also pushes girls to choose more nurturing and gentle activities while boys get tough and active toys. It is concerning to society today when a boy wants to play dress up with makeup and jewelry. The socialist bias provides guidelines for parents when raising their children and choosing toys.
ReplyDeleteIn this article, a monkey study suggests hormonal basis for children’s toy preferences. A recent study involving two different species strongly suggested a biological explanation for this preference of toys. It is believed that the babies’ exposure to hormones while in the womb plays a key role. Another study showed that testosterone levels of 3 and 4-month boys correlated with the amount of time they spent looking a male-typical toys, such as trucks and balls, compared to female toys. A group of British researchers found a condition in girls who experienced abnormally high levels of the male sex hormone androgen while in the womb. These girls preferred to play with male toys. Hormones are important because they are believed to be associated with activity levels. For example, boys are evolutionarily programmed to seek out more vigorous activities, so toy preferences reflect that notion. Other ideas have been looked into. Boys may simply find balls more interesting, while girls are drawn to human figures. It is also thought that girls perceive social stimuli better than boys, but boys tend to have better spatial navigation abilities. Many ideas exist about why children prefer certain toys, but they all connect to evolutionary tendencies and hormones.
I believe boys tend to play with trucks because society expects them to do so. Girls play with dolls because other girls play with dolls and it would appear unusual if they didn’t do the same. Parents buy toys based on gender because they believe it is the right thing to do. I do agree that boys are more active and need more engaging toys, while girls tend to be more creative and calm.
Socialization plays a role in toy preference in children because it guides their decision in which toy to choose and how they choose to play with it. They are shaped by continuous influences surrounding them. Children look to their peers, siblings, parents, and even media messages for how to talk, behave, and think. Kids grow up and see other people of their gender playing with trucks or GI Joes or dolls and princess outfits and they assume that those things are what they are to play with too. Boys are taught to be "little men" and build and fix things or get dirty. Girls are taught to be "little ladies" and play house, dolls, or dress up.
ReplyDeleteThe article states that new research suggests that babies exposure to hormones while they are in the womb causes their toy preference to emerge shortly after birth. It stated that a potential reason girls pick dolls over trucks is that girls have evolved to perceive social stimuli such as people as very important. Boys may choose trucks over dolls because their spatial abilities have been linked to their roles as traditional hunters.
I think boys and girls play with the toys that they do because of socialization and the influence exerted upon them. I know boys who like to play with dolls and house and girls who like to play in the dirt and be "one of the boys". I think it just depends on the child and what surroundings they grow up in.
The things that boys and girls play with can be very different. But this article talks about why genders play with different toys. First thoughts where because children just learn from society to play with gender specific toys. But then they gave monkeys the choice of toys and males chose the ball or the vehicle with wheels, and most females chose the dolls. How could they know what ones to pick if there society had no influence? Research suggests that is the hormones control the want for different toys. For boys this hormone could have made boys more active with the “boy toys” but it didn’t matter what toys they played with they were at the same activity level. Another theory is boys and girls simply just find more different toys more interesting. Girls have evolved to be more stimulated by social aspects, and boys known for the navigation abilities. These different toys may have different effects on how they develop each of different gender brains. I think that multiple factors play a role in what a child plays with. I think that all of these factors and theories play a role, but I think the biggest factor is that children see what they should play with and then learn to play with the things they know about.
ReplyDeleteThis article discusses why boys and girls play with different types of toys. Socialization plays a big role in children's toy preferences because it allows them to see how to play with toys (children play with toys in different manners). In today's society girls are expected to play with dolls and boys are expected to play with trucks.
ReplyDeleteThe article discusses an experiment that was done with monkeys. The monkey experiment was conducted with two species of monkeys and each experiment had the same outcome. Males chose to play with vehicles and females chose to play with dolls. This study was then replicated via human infants, and the results held true in regards to which toys were preferred by males and females. The article also discussed how hormone exposure while in the womb may also play a role in choosing a truck vs. a doll.
Personally I think that children play with toys that they are provided. I think if parents, teachers, and daycare providers provided girls with trucks and boys with dolls, then girls would be fine with playing with trucks and boys would be fine playing with dolls. I do believe hormones play some role, but that environmental factors play a much bigger role.
In society boys have always been presented with tools and Tonka trucks to play with while girls dress up and play house. When you go to a baby shower, depending on the gender of the baby you will either bring something that is pink or blue. It’s more accepting to see a boy play in mud and a girl have a tea party. It’s just how society sets it up for children and it goes from one extreme to another. This article does a study that includes monkeys and it was pretty much the same as what human children do. The male monkeys reached for the trucks and the girl monkeys played with the dolls. Toy preference is determined very soon after birth and may not even be associated with socialization at all. It was said in the article that girls that were born with higher levels of testosterone wanted to play with wheels and trucks over playing with a doll. It also may be associated with the type of activity boys are readying themselves for such as roughness. Girls see human beings as more important so they reach for what resembles them the most which can be a doll. The article also stated that the length of the pointer and ring finger can determine toy preference. Then it goes into a deeper concept on how boys can pick out balls and wheels because of the development of their mental rotation to contribute to their superior spatial navigation.
ReplyDeleteI think there is some truth to what was said in the article with the amount of testosterone contributing to toy choice. Although, I still don’t see how that connects with choosing certain toys because there is nothing that correlates a hormone with a toy. As for girls, I think that girls have a maternal instinct that leads them to choose more family related toys such as dolls and wanting play kitchen sets. For me I feel that toy preference is more socialization connected than hormone related. If a boy child is presented with only dolls and other girl toys then the child will pick the one that appeals to them the most and play with it. The same thing applies to a girl with all boy toys. It all depends on the appealing factor for what the child, boy or girl, would like to play with. At birthday parties there isn’t a wide variety of both boys and girl toys; it’s associated with the gender of the child. It doesn’t give them too much of a choice on what they would rather play with and after a few years the child will know exactly what they want to play with by association with that same type of toy.
Socialization is what society deems as acceptable or a basis on how people should act. Socialization plays a large role when children are younger. As infants, children look up to their parents and observe what they do and how they act. Also, the hormone levels in a child can have a lot to do with their toy of choice. This article discusses how socialization may not have a major say in what gender-specific toys children like to play with due to the hormone levels having an effect on the toy preference. Personally, I believe the availability of specific toys or other children help determine what toys children play with. My mom runs an in-home daycare and the girls have outnumbered the boys for years, resulting in the boys playing with dolls quite often.
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