Boys are born to prefer dolls over masculine toys like cars

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Boys are born to prefer dolls over masculine toys like cars

By Lucy Marks

The preference many boys have for ''masculine'' toys such as cars only develops later in life, according to a new study that tracked the eye movements of babies.

The research found boys aged up to five months were more attracted to dolls than they were to toy cars and mechanical objects, suggesting children are not born with gendered preferences - instead, these develop as a child matures.

Playing mums and dads: Archie and Will Lambert, aged 4 and 2, enjoy social games.

Playing mums and dads: Archie and Will Lambert, aged 4 and 2, enjoy social games.Credit: Janie Barrett

Paola Escudero, of the University of Western Sydney, conducted the research in collaboration with the University of California.

The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, used eye-tracking technology on children aged 3½ months to five months to determine their preferred object or toy.

Images of two different objects were displayed on a screen. The length of time and frequency of the child's gaze was measured to ascertain a preference.

''The preferences we see [at five months] have nothing to do with biology,'' she said. ''Social pressures, parents, other people guide children to like things that are specific to their sex.''

There were several reasons for gender differences developing later in life, Dr Escudero said.

Society may teach children what items they should prefer, depending on their gender, as they mature.

Then there is the possible effect of cognitive development, in which changes in the brain create a preference for some things over others.

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Last, hormonal changes could direct children's choices as they mature. ''Testosterone makes [boys] engage in more strong playing and with items that allow them to explore or exploit that way of playing, whereas oestrogen leads to interaction with the social environment,'' she said.

Dr Escudero said further research was needed to determine which of these factors were instrumental in the development of a child's preferences.

Childcare professionals say gendered choices are definitely learnt - and most young boys enjoy playing with dolls.

Aria Adams-Wilcox, of Belrose Children's Centre in Warringah, said boys and girls played social games around the age of two and all played different gendered roles.

''There was a boy who would only take on the role as mother, so he could be caring and help the 'babies' [other children or dolls] go to sleep,'' Ms Adams-Wilcox said.

She said the children started to develop greater awareness by age 3½, and by four years old many boys had decided ''only girls play with dolls''.

''I think they start to understand the difference between genders because of siblings, elder family members, parents, and socially they're told the differences and, in that way, the different roles,'' Ms Adams-Wilcox said.

Anna Tydd said her sons, Archie and Will Lambert, enjoy social games. ''Just the other morning they had their bears and bunnies and were playing mums and dads.''

While she encourages a balanced way of playing by buying construction toys such as Lego, she said she would never discourage her boys' preferences.

Ms Tydd said she has friends who will encourage more masculine toys and dress ups if their boys show more femininity, to prevent bullying.

"It definitely depends on the parents," she said.

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