Children's Sex-Specific Behavior and Their Concept of Gender Constancy

아동의 성항상성과 성별 특정화 행동

The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the developmental level of children's concept of gender by age and sex. (2) children's sex-specific behaviors by age and sex, and (3) children's sex-specific behaviors by developmental level of gender constancy. The subjects were 164 children (forty 3-year-olds, forty-three 5-year-olds, forty 7-year-olds and forty-one 9-year olds) with nearly equal numbers of boys and girls. They were selected from two kindergartens and one elementary school. A quasi experiment was carried out with the procedures described by Slaby and Frey (1976) to measure children's developmental level of the concept of gender constancy. Two experiments were carried out to observe children's sex-specific behaviors: one for children's toy choice behavior and the other for children's interaction with their peers. Statistical methods adopted for data analysis were frequencies. percentiles, mean. and $X^2$. It was found that children's sex-specific behaviors were different according to their developmental level of gender constancy. Children's developmental level of gender constancy was significantly different according to their age, but there was no difference according to their sex. Children's toy-choice behavior was significantly different according to their age and sex. Children's sex-specific behaviors were significantly different according to their concept of gender constancy.