Preschoolers’ perceptions of gendered toy commercials in the US

What is it about?

Traditional stereotypes continue to be pervasive in toy commercials aired in the US and other cultures. Despite this fact, little work has looked at how children perceive gendered advertisements. Although children in the current study often went against traditional stereotypes when deciding which gender toy commercials were meant for, these stereotypes still showed a powerful influence. This was especially true for boys whose responses became even more stereotyped with age.

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Why is it important?

While there is ample research on the gender content of commercials, little work has looked at young children’s reactions to it. The current findings provide information about preschoolers’ perceptions of gendered media messages. Without information in this area the impact of future changes in gender ideology and marketing strategies on young children will be difficult to assess.