An experimental test of the effects of gender constancy on sex typing

Abstract

The study provides an experimental test of Kohlberg's claim that the achievement of gender constancy produces increases in children's sex typing. Preschool age children (N = 46) were randomly assigned to experimental groups and given lessons that taught that biological traits were: (a) fixed and stable across time and changes in appearance (i.e., pro-constancy training) or (b) mutable and variable across time and changes in appearance (i.e., anti-constancy training). Post-lesson testing sessions demonstrated that the lessons were highly effective in teaching gender constancy and also increased children's ability to make appearance-reality distinctions. Comparisons of posttest measures of sex typing between experimental and control children failed to find effects of gender constancy acquisition on sex typing. Results indicate that the attainment of gender constancy does not cause sex typing to increase.Psycholog