Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Tabaran Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran
2 PhD Student in Art, Department of Art, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3 Instructor, Department of Music, Faculty of Arts, Ferdows University, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
Contemporary social cognitive theories posit that children acquire gender stereotypes through the processing of gender-related information. This research investigates the influence of narrative content on preschool children, a period identified as the critical stage for the formation of gender identity and gender schemas. This study employed an experimental research design, conducted through two phases of intervention and observation. A total of 24 preschool children (aged 3–6) from kindergartens in Mashhad were selected using quota sampling during the winter of 2024. In the first experiment, participants were presented with stories where either the main character possessed a distinct gender within a gender-neutral context, or a gender-neutral character appeared within a gender-typed context. In the second experiment, the same cohort was presented with stories where the gender of the main character and the narrative setting were either gender-congruent or gender-incongruent. Results from both experiments indicated that children evaluated activities based on the gender cues of both the main character and the narrative setting; however, the gender of the main character exerted a more significant influence than the setting. Furthermore, children exhibited greater interest in activities when the gender of the main character aligned with their own. Ultimately, the findings suggest that the gender structure of narratives channels children’s cognitive processing toward stereotypical associations.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)