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Prenatal androgen exposure and children's gender-typed behavior and toy and playmate preferences

Debra Spencer1, Vickie Pasterski2, Sharon A S Neufeld1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RQ, United Kingdom.

Hormones and Behavior
|November 12, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal androgen exposure influences children's gender-typed behavior and preferences. Girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) showed more male-typical behaviors, while amniotic testosterone levels did not correlate with these traits in typically developing children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Endocrinology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • Prenatal androgen exposure is hypothesized to influence sex-typed behaviors in children.
  • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) offers a model for studying elevated prenatal androgens.
  • Understanding these influences is crucial for developmental and gender studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between prenatal androgen exposure and gender-typed behavior in children.
  • To examine the influence of CAH on gender-typed behavior, toy, and playmate preferences.
  • To assess the correlation between amniotic fluid testosterone levels and gender-typed behavior in typically developing children.

Main Methods:

  • Study 1: Compared children with CAH to unaffected relatives, assessing gender-typed behavior and preferences.
  • Study 2: Examined the relationship between amniotic fluid testosterone levels and gender-typed behavior in typically developing children.
  • Utilized behavioral assessments and toy/playmate preference measures.

Main Results:

  • Girls with CAH exhibited more male-typical and fewer female-typical behaviors and preferences compared to unaffected girls.
  • Predicted sex differences in gender-typed behavior were observed in both studies.
  • Amniotic fluid testosterone levels did not significantly correlate with gender-typed behavior or preferences in typically developing children.

Conclusions:

  • Findings from Study 1 support the role of prenatal androgens in shaping children's gender-typed behavior and preferences.
  • Study 2 results suggest amniotic fluid testosterone may be an insensitive marker for prenatal androgen exposure in non-clinical populations.
  • Further research with more sensitive measures is needed to consistently detect the effects of prenatal androgens on gender-typed behavior.

Keywords:
Amniotic fluid testosteroneAndrogenCongenital adrenal hyperplasiaGender-typed play behaviorPlaymate preferencesPrenatal testosterone exposureSex differencesToy preferences

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