Age and Sex Differences in Children's Responses to Babies: Effects of Adults'Caretaking Requests and Instructions

BERMAN, PHYLLIS W., and GOODMAN, VICKIE. Age and Sex Differences in Children's Responses to Babies: Effects of Adults' Caretaking Requests and Instructions. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1984, 55, 1071-1077. 48 day-care children (12 younger boys and 12 younger girls between 30 and 63 months old, and an equal number of older boys and girls between 69 and 92 months old) were each observed in individual interactions with an 8-19-month-old toddler. In a double-baseline design, children were observed, first after being asked to take care of the baby, and then after watching a male or female adult demonstrate appropriate interactions with the baby. Subjects' age interacted with subjects' sex so that older girls interacted with the baby the most and older boys the least. The sex difference was significant only among the older children. The demonstration reliably increased the baby-directed interactions of the older, but not the younger, children. Sex of demonstrator had no significant effect.