Abstract
Studies of television's effects on children's sex-role learning suggest that the medium's current contribution is toward traditional sex-role development, but the medium may be effective in fostering nontraditional sex-role learning. The purpose was to determine television's effectiveness in promoting nonsexist role learning among children with different sex-role orientations. The Bem Sex Role Inventory was adapted to empirically define the sex-role preferences of 124 girls and 114 boys, aged 9 to 12. After viewing a television program designed to diminish sex-role stereotypes, respondents indicated the extent of their identification with the characters. The results suggest that androgynous children tend to be as likely as feminine children, and more likely than masculine children, to identify with nontraditional televised models.
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This study was conducted as a portion of the author's doctoral dissertation at the University of Southern California. Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Aimée Dorr for her valuable suggestions.
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Eisenstock, B. Sex-role differences in children's identification with counterstereotypical televised portrayals. Sex Roles 10, 417–430 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287558
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287558