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Who are tomboys and why should we study them?
J Michael Bailey1, Kathleen T Bechtold, Sheri A Berenbaum
1Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA. jm-bailey@nwu.edu
Archives of Sexual Behavior
|August 22, 2002
Summary
Tomboy girls exhibit more masculine behaviors than their sisters, though less so than their brothers, challenging traditional sex-typing theories. This study explored tomboyism in children aged 4-9.
Area of Science:
- Child psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Gender studies
Background:
- Tomboy behavior in girls challenges established theories of sex-typing.
- Understanding gender-typical and atypical development is crucial in developmental psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the playmate preferences, activities, interests, and gender identity of tomboys.
- To compare tomboys with their siblings (sisters and brothers) to understand gender differentiation.
- To highlight the scientific value of studying tomboyism.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 60 tomboys aged 4-9 through media outreach.
- Compared tomboys with 15 sisters and 20 brothers.
- Utilized measures of playmate preference, sex-typed activities/interests, and gender identity.
Main Results:
- Tomboys displayed significantly more masculine traits than their sisters across most measures.
- Tomboys were generally less masculine than their brothers.
- Initial findings from the Tomboy Project were described.
Conclusions:
- Tomboy behavior represents a distinct point on the masculine-feminine spectrum, differing from both typical girls and boys.
- Studying tomboys offers valuable insights into the complexities of gender development and sex-typing.
- The Tomboy Project aims to further elucidate the developmental trajectories and psychological characteristics of tomboys.