Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2025
07:56
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
10.2K
Mothers' and Fathers' Science-Related Talk With Daughters and Sons While Reading Life and Physical Science Books
Tess A Shirefley1, Campbell Leaper1
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|March 7, 2022
Summary
Parents engaged daughters more in science talk than sons during book reading, particularly with physical science topics. This suggests book reading may help counter traditional gender socialization in science.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Science Education
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Previous research links parental science encouragement to children's motivation.
- Prior studies often focused on older children and mothers.
- Gender-differentiated science socialization may start in early childhood, with fathers potentially showing more differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate early childhood gender differences in parental science talk.
- To examine if fathers or mothers show more gender-differentiated science encouragement.
- To explore the role of book reading in science socialization.
Main Methods:
- 50 US families with young children (48-83 months) participated.
- Parents (mothers and fathers) read life and physical science books with their child.
- Parents' science-related talk during book reading was coded.
Main Results:
- Contrary to predictions, parents used more science talk with daughters than sons.
- This included higher rates of overall science talk, explanations, personal connections, and learning talk.
- Gender effects were more pronounced during physical science book readings.
Conclusions:
- Early childhood book reading may offer a context for mitigating gender socialization favoring boys in science.
- Parents' science talk patterns differed by child gender and book topic.
- Findings suggest interventions during early childhood book reading could promote girls' interest in physical science.
Keywords:
father-child communicationgender differencesmother-child communicationreadingscience educationMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
14
Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
14
00:55Parental Care
12.0K
Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
12.0K
01:27Parenting Styles
181
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
181
01:29Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
14
Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or...
14
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
91
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
91
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
168
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
168