Citation

Burns AL, Mitchell G, Obradovich S. Sex Roles 1989; 20(5-6): 309-315.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/BF00287727

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research supports the conclusion that adults interact differently with children of different sexes. Laboratory and home studies indicate that fathers/adult males are the primary agents of sex typing and that mothers/adult females are the primary caretakers, especially regarding the managerial aspects of child care. Little attention, however, has been directed at the public display of these differences and their covariance. Observations were made of 6414 visitors to the Sacramento zoo, with 524 adult females, 524 adult males, and 524 toddler triumvirates targeted for specific analyses of adult-child interactions and caretaking behaviors. Males were significantly more likely to carry female toddlers than male toddlers, while females made no such distinction. Adult females were more likely than adult males to push the child's stroller. Related research on the father's role in sex-typing behavior and the role of the division of child care between parents in the maintenance and reproduction of gender roles is discussed.

Language: en