People Versus Object Orientation in Preschool Children: Do Sex Differences Really Occur?

Preschool boys are frequently described in the literature as more interested in objects, whereas preschool girls are described as more interested in people. The validity of this description is questioned in the present paper, first, by reviewing the relevant literature and, second, by reporting a study of individual differences in orientation to people versus objects. The review of the literature revealed few, if any, studies which provided clear empirical support for the notion of sex differences in orientation. A number of studies were found, however, which reported no differences between boys and girls in aspects of behavior related to orientation. The issue of sex differences was addressed directly in the present study. Relative preference for interacting with people versus objects (i.e, orientation) was observed in 38 children during nursery-school free play. No mean differences were found between boys and girls in orientation. A sufficient body of data has now been accumulated to warrant the conclusion that preschool boys and girls are indistinguishable in terms of their global interest in people versus objects.