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A comparison of observed and reported adult-infant interactions: Effects of perceived sex

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Abstract

Interactions of 16 adults (eight married couples whose youngest child was less than 2 1/2 years old) with a single actor infant, dressed as either a male or a female, were recorded and analyzed in four categories: direction of gaze, facial expression, physical contact with the infant, and toy used. After the interaction period, a 45-minute interview on child rearing was conducted with each member of the couple. Observed interactions were then compared with interview data. The results support previous studies which show that both male and female parents behave differently toward unfamiliar infants on the basis of perceived sex. However, parents, especially mothers, appeared unaware of their differential treatment of male and female infants. These results suggest subtle sex-typing of infants by adults.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, USA

    Rex E. Culp, Alicia S. Cook & Patricia C. Housley

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  1. Rex E. Culp
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  2. Alicia S. Cook
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  3. Patricia C. Housley
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Additional information

The authors would like to thank Judith West and Marian Bouwmeester for their assistance in coding the videotapes. This research was supported by a Biomedical Research Support Grant to Colorado State University by the National Institutes of Health (5507RR07127-08). A version of this article was presented as a paper at the meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, San Francisco, March 1979.

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Culp, R.E., Cook, A.S. & Housley, P.C. A comparison of observed and reported adult-infant interactions: Effects of perceived sex. Sex Roles 9, 475–479 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289787

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289787

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