[🧠] Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences) Flashcards
The study by Hassett et al. was an experiment investigating sex differences for toy preferences in monkeys, whose behaviour is assumed to be more biologically controlled than that of children. Interactions with stereotypical boys’ toys and girls’ toys were observed and coded using a behavioural checklist. Human participants were not included in this study. To compare monkey toy preferences to those of children, data from another study was used.
What was the aim of the study?
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
To investigate whether sex differences in toy preferences of rhesus monkeys were the same as those in the toy preferences of human children
Features of the sample used in the study.
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
- They were rhesus monkeys
- Multi-sex group
- Whole group has lived together for 25+ years
- Housed at Yerkes
- Total of 135 in the social group
- 23 females
- 11 males
- Total of 34
Define
Socialisation
The process of learning to behave in socially acceptable ways. This may differ somewhat for the two genders and for different cultures
Define
Gender stereotype
A bias exhibited in society, which maybe held by people and represented in books and toys that assign particular traits, behaviours, emotions and occupations to males and females
What is the significance of child development in the background of Hassett et al.?
Prenatal hormonal exposure of human infants during gestation affects toy preferences.
* congenital adrenal hyperplasia: genetic condition that increases androgens (male hormones) during girl’s foetal development - such girls preferred to play with boy-typical toys, even when received increased socialisation
Information on the total frequency results
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
Total frequency showed a significant interaction between toy type and sex
- males preferred wheeled (9.77) over plushed (2.06)
- females exhibited no significant preference for plush toys (7.97) over wheeled (6.96)
- males and females did not differ in their total interactions with wheeled toys, but males interacted significantly less with the plush toys than did the females
Information on the total duration results
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
- showed an interaction between toy type and sex
- males interacted for a greater total time with wheeled (mean: 4.76mins) than plush (mean: 0.53mins)
- females did not differ in different toy type interactions (wheeled: 1.27mins, plush: 1.49mins)
- males and females revealed that they didn’t differ significantly in the total time spent with wheeled or plush
Statements drawn up by total frequency and total duration results.
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
significant sex difference of preference was revealed for frequency (M: 7.71, F: 1.00) and duration (M: 4.23, F: 0.22). Thus, males exhibited a significantly higher preference for boy-typical toys than females for girl-typical toys.
Information about rank results
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
- mean rank between males (9.3) and females (8.7) revealed no significant differences
- the interaction between rank and toy type was not significant
- Spearman’s correlation: with both sexes combined, rank and total frequency were positively correlated for both the plush toy and the wheeled toy
- For males, neither plush toy nor wheeled toy total frequencies and duration correlated significantly with rank
- For females, rank correlated positively with total frequency for both plush and
wheeled toys - For females, total duration correlated positively with rank only for plush toys. Rank in females accounts for interactions with toys.
Explain why a few participants
were not included in the final
sample.
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
- 14 rhesus monkeys were not included because they had been exposed to
varying hormonal treatments prenatally. - 39 newborn (0–3 months) infants were not coded due to difficulty in individual
identification.
Information for age results for frequencies
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
FOR FREQUENCIES:
Interaction by age for juvenile, subadult, adult, and more aged animals -
did not differ for either the plush object or the wheeled object.
Information for age results for duration
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
FOR DURATION:
No differences were found in duration of interaction by age for either the
plush object or the wheeled object.
MALE RHESUS MONKEYS:
RANK X AGE X TOY PREFERENCE
- 73% of males significantly preferred wheeled toys
- 9% preferred plush toys and
- no differences in rank or age between males who showed a plush preference, a wheeled preference, or no
preference
FEMALE RHESUS MONKEYS:
RANK X AGE X TOY PREFERENCE
- 30% of females significantly preferred plush toys
- 39% preferred wheeled toys
- 30% had no preference
- There were rank differences among females based on their preferences
- Females with no preference ranked lower than the females with a plush preference
- no age differences according to preferences in the females
Which study’s results was Hassett et al.’s study’s results compared to?
Hassett et al. (monkey toy preferences)
Berenbaum and Hines (1992)
