Do boys really naturally play differently than girls? Scientists investigate whether genes or gender norms determine toy choice

A picture straight out of the stereotype book

The little girls, often dressed in pink sequined dresses, often huddle next to each other, playing "family" or jumping, dancing and talking. The boys, on the other hand, work on building blocks or run around the yard on their bicycles. How much of this is innate and how much is acquired through social norms? In science, such a debate is called "nature versus nurture", in other words, nature and nurture are put on the imaginary scales.

What did the meta-analysis reveal?

"Gender differences in toy choice exist and appear to be the result of both innate and societal forces," says the conclusion of a 2017 British meta-analysis that came from 16 observational studies - from different years - that looked at the free choice of toys in boys and girls aged one to eight.

Writing in the journal Infant and Child Development, the researchers shared the following findings: boys are more likely than girls to play with masculine toys, such as vehicles, and girls are more likely than boys to play with feminine toys, such as dolls. According to the authors , hormonal differences may play a role.

They also found that boys' play time with male-type toys increased as they got older, but the same pattern did not emerge for girls. Moreover, the difference in toy choice by gender was more pronounced in earlier studies than in later ones, suggesting possible "environmental influences".

Pink and blue trap shuts before birth

The colour pink for girls and blue for boys (it used to be the other way around) tends to be considered a purely social construct. But according to journalist and blogger Almut Schnerring, co-author of a book whose German title translates as "The Pink-Blue Trap: Towards a Childhood Without Gender Stereotypes", it is difficult to say whether children have an innate, gendered preference for certain toys. "There are always environmental influences - from the first day of life," says Schnerring.

This doesn't just include the colors and patterns of a child's room, clothing, or even the pacifier a child gets to suck on. "Studies have shown that expectant parents who know the gender of the fetus behave differently depending on what gender it is, and for example, talk more to girls in utero," she points out.

He adds that it has also been shown in experiments that people play - often unconsciously - with a stranger's baby differently depending on whether they think it is a boy or a girl. So if one-year-olds prefer certain toys, it may be due to cultural influences. "Biology and socialisation cannot be studied separately," the journalist sums up the problem.

Will male monkeys prefer to play with toy cars?

In the opinion of developmental psychologist Doris Bischof-Köhler, the different sexes behave differently from nature. Specifically, the expert states that there are evolutionary-psychological reasons why boys like to play rough games already at preschool age.

The recently deceased primatologist Frans de Waal, in turn, cited studies showing that when monkeys are given human toys, females tend to collect dolls and males collect trucks. "But to associate a frying pan in a monkey's enclosure with something 'feminine' is misguided," Schnerring said, referring to similar studies that have examined the gender-specific preferences of human toys in monkeys.

Environment can also move genetics

And exactly which toys are boy toys, which are girl toys, and which can be evaluated as neutral? A 2020 British meta-analysis of 75 toy preference studies found that there is not always a consensus on this question. However, the interplay between biological or genetic predispositions and environmental factors is undeniable.

The latter may reinforce the former, for example, when children only receive toys associated with their gender, when parents respond more positively to play associated with the child's gender, or when children observe peers of their gender at play. Environmental influences can even affect gene expression, as the field of epigenetics has shown.

According to Schnerring, gender differences are often magnified in the early years of life, largely due to gender-based marketing. Whether it's Kinder surprise eggs, books, shampoos or slippers, almost all children's products today are sold in two versions: for boys and for girls, for pirates and for princesses.

A very intense social "massage"

"No previous generation has been bombarded with gender binary messages as much as the current one," Schnerring is clear. He argues that while we may have seen gender typing in earlier years (with toy soldiers, dolls and other toys), now the pro-boy/pro-girl labelling has been amplified by Instagram - combined with prominent advertising posters at bus stops and TV programmes for children.

"Many kids don't want this divided, pink-and-blue world at first, but their voices aren't being heard," Schnerring notes.

Zdroj: Giphy

Media scholars Maya Götz and Birgit Irrgang of the German Institute for Media Research and Media Education (JFF) agree that gender-based marketing has increased in recent years.

Although the relative influence of nature and nurture on the different gaming behaviour of girls and boys cannot be clearly identified, it is clear that not all children identify with gender stereotypes. Moreover, these may have undesirable effects on their later life and on society in general.

Let's think about the future

When it is mostly boys who are given kits and vehicles to play with in kindergarten, it is not surprising that special programmes are needed during adolescence to stimulate girls' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

And constantly hearing that girls are not as good as boys in this category of subjects can cause them - as a result of a phenomenon called stereotype threat - to "live up" to negative expectations. Schnerring makes no secret of the fact that she wishes adults would be less concerned with gender when giving children toys.

"It's important to offer them different toys and sometimes go against gender stereotypes." It would also be good if adults would listen. As she concludes, " A child who wants a pink ball today may want a yellow bike tomorrow."