Relations of conceptions of gender-role transgressions and gender constancy to gender-typed toy preferences.

This study examined the relations among preschoolers' gender-typed toy choice, their judgments regarding cross-gender behavior, and gender constancy. Gender-typed toy choice of 87 preschool children was assessed with a measure in which children could base their choices not only on gender but also on attractiveness. Children's judgments regarding cross-gender behavior were measured, and their level of cognitive constancy was assessed. Results indicated that children's level of reasoning, but not their gender constancy level, was related to gender-typed toy preferences. Children with more flexible norms, who could distinguish between moral and social norms, exhibited less gender-typed toy choices than children with rigid norms. Results are discussed in terms of the relation between cognitive aspects of gender typing and gender-typed toy preference.