Analysis of children's letters to Santa Claus indicated that: (1) girls requested more toys than boys; (2) children requested neutral toys more often than sex-typed toys; (3) girls were more likely to ask for neutral toys, while boys often asked for neutral or masculine toys; and (4) children preferred sex appropriate to sex inappropriate toys.…

Preschool children exhibited less curiosity about and less frequent recall of unfamiliar objects when the objects were labeled for the opposite sex than when they were labeled either for their own or for both sexes. (Author/MJL)

Of four stories, preschool girls liked one with a female character and feminine activity best, and one with a male character and masculine activity least. The reverse was true for boys. Measures taken a day later showed that children recalled more about stories they had liked least the day before. (Author/MJL)

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…

Examined the effect of observation of gender-related information in the peer group on preschoolers' attention to toys that were not clearly delineated as appropriate for one sex or the other. Contemporaneous peer involvement was significantly associated with children's toy adoption, but cumulative peer involvement was not. (Author/BB)

Analysis of 232 elementary school children's questions posed to nontraditional workers reveals that gender schemata are important aspects of a child's thought processes. Common characteristics of their questions are identified. Boys and girls fill part of their gender schema with like kinds of information about what is gender-appropriate behavior.…

Reports the findings of a study that replicated work done in the early 1970s concerning the media preferences and reading interests of intermediate grade children. Shows that the reading interests of boys remained much the same, with those of girls changing. Both groups continued to prefer television over print media. (FL)

A two-part study investigated female college students' preferences for stereotyped or nonstereotyped role models and the relationship of such preferences to the choice of traditional versus nontraditional careers. A total of 211 women students from a mid-Atlantic state university (all the enrolled women) as well as a stratified-by-college…

Reviews research on the developmental roots of nurturance in young children. Examines child characteristics (age, sex); characteristics of the nurtured object (infants and their behaviors); and aspects of the nurturing situation (adult involvement and encouragement). Implications for furture research and child care practices are suggested. (BB)

Variables related to children's interest in and play experiences with fire and fire-producing materials were explored in this study. Information for the study was obtained from samples of public school children and their parents. The samples were drawn from the communities of Oakland and Hayward, California, and included 70 boys and 69 girls and…