Effects of game type on children's gender-based peer preferences: A naturalistic observational study

Children's propensity for interacting with peers of their own gender is a robust phenomenon, evident across many contexts. This study investigated how children's gender-based peer preferences varied as a function of a contextual variable-type of children's game. Using naturalistic observations, 242 first- to third-graders (identical numbers of boys and girls, mostly White and middle-class) were observed playing two games that varied in their physicality and competitiveness; games were structured to have equal numbers of boys and girls available as playmates. As predicted, boys and girls interacted significantly more with same-sec: than other-sex peers. Our prediction of a game-type effect was partially supported: in the more competitive and physical game, boys chose same-sex playmates significantly more often than in the less competitive/physical game, but girls' same-sex peer preference did not vary across the games. The findings provide further support for the necessity of investigating social context as an influence on children's own-sex favoritism.