Storybooks might be an early source of gender stereotypes: Study

V RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT STORYBOOKS CONTAIN MANY WORDS THAT ADULTS CONSIDER TO BE GENDERED AND LIKELY CONTRIBUTE TO CHILDREN’S GENDER KNOWLEDGE

Researchers have found thatchildren by age two start todevelop beliefs about gender, including stereotypes.

Children’s interactions with and observations of adults have been cited as the sources of these beliefs. However, a new study published in the journal Psychological Science examines a different, potentially under-recognised source of gender stereotypes and associations, popular children’s books.

Researchers found that storybooks contain many words that adults consider to be gendered and likely contribute to children's gender knowledge.

“We found that many popular children’s books often read to young children, like Curious George and Amelia Bedelia, contain rich information about gender that is presented in subtle ways,” said Molly Lewis, a researcher with the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University and lead author of the study. “In some cases, the stereotypes in these books were stronger than in books targeted at adults,” she added.