Now you see it, now you don't: Explaining inconsistent evidence on gender stereotyping of newborns

Abstract

Parental gender‐stereotyped perceptions of newborns—particularly their physical characteristics—have been discussed as important determinants of sex role socialization from birth on. However, corresponding empirical evidence is inconclusive. We propose that inconsistent findings on gender‐correlated perceptions are due to whether or not actual physical differences between newborn girls and boys are properly (statistically or experimentally) taken into account. In our study, 55 mother–father pairs rated both their own and two unknown newborns, labeled either female or male. Although we successfully replicated the typical gender‐correlated perceptions of own newborns' physical characteristics, all effects were explainable by actual physical sex differences in length and weight at birth. Similarly, no gender‐specific rating differences emerged as a function of labeled gender of unknown children matched in actual physical characteristics. Altogether, the findings demonstrate the vital importance of considering existing sex differences between newborn girls and boys for drawing valid conclusions on gender stereotyping of newborns.

Prenatal Sex Role Stereotypes: Gendered Expectations and Perceptions of (Expectant) Parents

“…While the observed effects were small, they provide a unique insight into sex-typing expectations that cannot be well explained by the different temperament and affordances boys and girls bring with them. More recent studies on the perception of children's physical characteristics typically fail to provide strong effects of sex-consistent stereotyping, but instead show actual physical differences between baby girls and boys can explain differences in parental impressions (Thielmann et al, 2015). We controlled for such associations between behavioral ratings and sex role stereotypes, but found no associations.…”

“…Likewise, the methodologically strongest papers in this research domain involving so-called gender-labelling studies (babies of either sex clothed in a neutral way and randomly labelled as either a boy or a girl) fail to provide strong evidence for gender stereotyping by adults (Stern & Karraker, 1989). Notably, though, children labelled as girls were regarded as more feminine and less masculine than children labelled as boys (Burnham & Harris, 1992), characterized by others as a mere manipulation check of gender labelling (Thielmann et al, 2015). Our current study not only makes the influence of actual sex differences between boy and girl babies an unlikely candidate, but also show that differential perceptions of femininity and masculinity go far beyond these labels but generalize to relatively broad constructs of masculinity and femininity, respectively.…”