The Effect of Television Cartoons on Sex-Role Stereotyping in Young Girls

Abstract

DAVIDSON, EMILY S.; YASUNA, AMY; and TOWER, ALAN. The Effects of Television Cartoons on Sex-Role Stereotyping in Young Girls. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1979, 50, 597-600. 36 5-6-year-old girls viewed one of 3 television network cartoons, either high or low stereotyped or neutral. They were then tested for sex-role stereotyping on a 24-item measure, each item showing a male and a female and asking a question about them. Results indicate that girls who viewed the low-stereotyped program received significantly lower sex-role stereotype scores than did girls in the high and neutral conditions, who did not differ from each other. The implications for further research on the effects of television on sex-role stereotyping and other social behaviors are discussed.