Gender Development across Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence Anneka Dawson Dr. Alison Pike, University of Sussex A.

1. Gender Development across Middle Childhood and Early AdolescenceAnneka Dawson & Dr. Alison Pike, University of SussexA.Dawson@sussex.ac.uk, www.sussex.ac.uk/Users/ad50 Introduction Interest in family influences on gender development has grown and researchers have stipulated that previous overviews of sex differences have not recognised the complex nature of gender socialization in the family (McHale et. al., 2003). Gender development is now widely recognised as multi- dimensional (McHale et. al., 2004). In particular, preferences for particular activities and jobs and gender role attitudes have been found to be distinct gender- relevant dimensions for children (McHale et. al., 1999). Previous research has suggested that if parents follow traditional gender roles in allocation of household tasks and childcare, then children tend to have more sex- typed attitudes and partake in more gender specific activities (White & Brinkerhoff, 1981). This study: This study firstly examines sex differences in gender measures. Secondly, it examines stability of gender preferences over time. Finally, it assesses the relationships between adolescent gender preferences and gender role attitudes and parental gender role attitudes and household task division. This is a longitudinal, multi- informant study which is still rare in the literature. Method The participants consisted of 212 children and their mothers over two time points. At time one data from fathers was also collected. At time one the children were aged between 4 and 8 (M= 6.33 years 47.4% female) and at time two they were aged between 9 and 15 (M= 10.90 years, 47.4% female) The participants were taking part in the longitudinal Sisters and Brothers Study (2008) which examines one- and two- parent families from the South- East of England. Questionnaires were individually administered to each child and mothers during a home visit .