Abstract
In this study we investigated the perceptions of male and female college students (N = 208) who evaluated preschoolers’ actual aggressive and prosocial behavior, which was obtained from naturalistic observations and presented as detailed transcripts. Findings revealed that men were not as accurate as women were in identifying relational aggression and prosocial behavior. Coders were generally similar in their identification of physical and verbal aggression. This study suggests that gender biases and stereotypes exist in the evaluation of relational aggression and prosocial behavior, which included assessments of relational inclusion. Researchers must take precautionary steps to investigate and ameliorate the gender biases of potential informants, which, if not addressed, may lead to errors in a myriad of standard methodological instruments (e.g., observations, teacher reports, and survey designs) currently used by psychologists and relationship scholars.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arsenio, W. F., & Lover, A. (1997). Emotions, conflicts, and aggression during preschoolers’ free play. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 15, 531–542.
Berndt, T., & Heller, K. A. (1986). Gender stereotypes and social inferences: A developmental study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 889–898.
Bonica, C., Yeshova, K., Arnold, D. H., Fisher, P. H., & Zeljo, A. (2003). Relational aggression and language development in preschoolers. Social Development, 12, 551–561.
Coie, J. D., & Dodge, K. A. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In N. Eisenberg (Vol. Ed.) & W. Damon (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 3. Social, emotional, and personality development (5th ed., pp. 779–862). New York: Wiley.
Condry, J. C., & Ross, D. F. (1985). Sex and aggression: The influence of gender label on the perception of aggression in children. Child Development, 56, 225–233.
Crick, N. R., Bigbee, M., & Howes, C. (1996). Gender differences in children’s normative beliefs about aggression: How do I hurt thee? Let me count the ways. Child Development, 67, 1003–1014.
Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Mosher, M. (1997). Relational and overt aggression in preschool. Developmental Psychology, 33, 579–588.
Crick, N. R., & Grotpeter, J. K. (1995). Relational aggression, gender, and social psychological adjustment. Child Development, 66, 710–722.
Crick, N. R., Ostrov, J. M., Appleyard, K., Jansen, E. A., & Casas, J. F. (2004). Relational aggression in early childhood: “You can’t come to my birthday party unless...” In M. Putallaz & K. L. Bierman (Eds.), Aggression, antisocial behavior, and violence among girls: A developmental perspective (pp. 71–89). New York: Guilford Press.
Crick, N. R., Werner, N. E., Casas, J. F., O’Brien, K. M., Nelson, D. A., Grotpeter, J. K., et al. (1999). Childhood aggression and gender: A new look at an old problem. In D. Bernstein (Ed.), The Nebraska symposium on motivation (Vol. 45, pp. 75–141). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
Fagot, B. T., & Hagan, R. (1985). Aggression in toddlers: Responses to the assertive acts of boys and girls. Sex Roles, 12, 341–351.
Gallivan, J. (1991). Gender bias in students’ ratings of essays. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6, 119–124.
Greener, S., & Crick, N. R. (1999). Children’s normative beliefs about prosocial behavior: What does it mean to be nice? Social Development, 8, 349–363.
Gurwtiz, S. B., & Dodge, K. A. (1975). Adults’ evaluations of a child as a function of sex of adult and sex of child. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 822–828.
Hart, C. H., Nelson, D. A., Robinson, C. C., Olsen, S. F., & McNeilly-Choque, M. K. (1998). Overt and relational aggression in Russian nursery-school-age children: Parenting style and marital linkages. Developmental Psychology, 34, 687–697.
Kirch, J. (1999). Gender bias in the interpretation of ambiguous provocation situations. Social Behavior and Personality, 27, 375–378.
Laursen, B., & Hartup, W. W. (1989). The dynamics of preschool children’s conflicts. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 35, 281–297.
Lyons, J. A., & Serbin, L. A. (1986). Observer bias in scoring boys’ and girls’ aggression. Sex Roles, 14, 301–313.
Maccoby, E. E. (1998). The two sexes: Growing up apart, coming together. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.
McNeilly-Choque, M. K., Hart, C. H., Robinson, C. C., Nelson, L., & Olsen, S. F. (1996). Overt and relational aggression on the playground: Correspondence among different informants. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 11, 47–67.
Ostrov, J. M., & Keating, C. F. (2004). Gender differences in preschool aggression during free play and structured interactions: An observational study. Social Development, 13, 255–277.
Ostrov, J. M., Woods, K. E., Jansen, E. A., Casas, J. F., & Crick, N. R. (2004). An observational study of delivered and received aggression, gender, and social psychological adjustment in preschool: “This white crayon doesn’t work...” Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 19, 355–371.
Pellegrini, A. D. (1996). Observing children in their natural worlds: A methodological primer. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Russell, A., Hart, C. H., Robinson, C., & Olsen, S. F. (2003). Children’s sociable and aggressive behavior with peers: A comparison of the U.S. and Australia, and contributions of temperament and parenting styles. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27, 74–86.
Sebanc, A. M. (2003). The friendship features of preschool children: Links with prosocial behavior and aggression. Social Development, 12, 249–268.
Super, C., & Harkness, S. (1986). The developmental niche. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 9, 545–569.
Susser, S. A., & Keating, C. F. (1990). Adult sex role orientation and perceptions of aggressive interactions between boys and girls. Sex Roles, 23, 147–155.
Tomada, G., & Schneider, B. H. (1997). Relational aggression, gender, and peer acceptance: Invariance across culture, stability over time, and concordance among informants.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ostrov, J.M., Crick, N.R. & Keating, C.F. Gender-biased Perceptions of Preschoolers’ Behavior: How Much Is Aggression and Prosocial Behavior in the Eye of the Beholder?. Sex Roles 52, 393–398 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-2681-6
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-2681-6