Previous research in laboratory settings has found that preschool girls show more interest in babies than do preschool boys. To validate these findings in natural settings, 71 children at 3 and 5 years of age were observed by their parents as the children interacted with babies in their daily lives. Each child was observed with three different…

To determine whether modeling of infant care by males would increase young boys' interest in babies, a study was conducted with up to 34 white, middle-class children who attended a university day care center and who ranged in age from 2 to 6 years. Procedures involved 3 days of pretest data collection, 4 weeks of treatment presentation, and 3…

This study was designed to investigate male and female interest in babies at middle childhood and adolescence. A total of 64 middle class subjects (half 8- to 9-years-olds, half 14- to 15-year-olds) were observed individually in a 6-minute waiting room situation with an unfamiliar 6- to 10-month-old baby and mother (confederate). While the subject…