Early Androgens Are Related to Childhood Sex-Typed Toy Preferences

1992483 citationsJournal Article

Authors

Sheri A. Berenbaum · University of Health Sciences

Melissa Hines · University of California, Los Angeles

Abstract

Girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) who were exposed to high levels of androgen in the prenatal and early postnatal periods showed increased play with boys” toys and reduced play with girls' toys compared with their unexposed female relatives at ages 3 to 8. Boys with CAH did not differ from their male relatives in play with boys' or girls' toys. These results suggest that early hormone exposure in females has a masculinizing effect on sex-typed toy preferences.

Topics & Keywords

Sexual Differentiation and Disorders Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Gender equality

Publication Details

Published in: Psychological Science

Volume 3, Issue 3, pp. 203-206

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.1992.tb00028.x

Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 3.30

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