Developmental and individual differences in girls' sex-typed activities in middle childhood and adolescence.
Girls' time in sex-typed leisure activities was studied across 2 years in middle childhood (n = 98, M = 8.2 years in Year 1), early adolescence (n = 106, M = 11.7 years), and middle adolescence (n = 86, M = 14.9 years). In annual home interviews, White middle-class girls, mothers, and fathers rated their gendered attitudes, interests, and personality qualities, and saliva samples were used to assess testosterone; activity data were collected in 7 nightly phone interviews. Girls spent more time in feminine than masculine activities except in early adolescence. Girls' and parents' personalities and interests predicted sex-typed activities at each developmental period, but associations between testosterone and activities emerged only in middle childhood.
McHale
Susan M
SM
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA. x2u@psu.edu
Shanahan
Lilly
L
Updegraff
Kimberly A
KA
Crouter
Ann C
AC
Booth
Alan
A
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D010553:Personality Development; D011606:Psychosexual Development; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012919:Social Behavior