Representational mind-mindedness in Danish early childcare professionals: the role of child gender

Out-of-home early childcare is a central developmental context in Scandinavian countries. Evidence suggests that the quality of caregiver–child interactions is potentially linked to caregivers’ mentalizing capacity—the ability to understand children’s mental states. This study examined whether child gender is associated with caregiver mentalizing, measured as representational mind-mindedness (MM), in relationships perceived as challenging. The sample included 124 professional caregivers from 30 Danish childcare centers, working with children aged 0–2.9 years. Each caregiver selected two children they considered challenging and completed an MM interview for each. Using generalized estimating equations, we analyzed gender patterns in child selection and MM scores. Caregivers were most likely to select one boy and one girl, but more often chose two boys than two girls. Crucially, caregivers attributed fewer mental states when describing boys than girls. Findings indicate a gender bias in caregiver mentalizing, with implications for equitable early childhood practice.