Gender stereotypes in preschool: An examination of age and gender differences

Gender stereotypes are prevalent in many societies and begin to emerge in early childhood. The present study examined the gender stereotypes and their association with age and gender in preschool. Gender stereotypes of feminine, masculine and gender-neutral traits and behaviours were collected in a sample of 104 German and Austrian children (52% girls) aged 3-6 years, using a 5-point rating scale. As expected, older children provided more gender-stereotypical responses. This association across age resulted primarily from an increase in extreme stereotypical and a decrease in counter-stereotypical associations. When comparing the gender stereotypes of boys and girls of different ages, younger girls already showed stronger gender stereotypes, while older girls showed more gender stereotype flexibility than boys at the same age. These findings provide new insights into preschool boys' and girls' gender stereotypes.