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The Color of Children’s Gender Stereotypes

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Abstract

To examine the impact of gender and gender-related color stereotypes, 98 Israeli preschoolers and 3rd graders chose between booklets mismatched in the stereotypicality of color (pink vs. blue) versus illustration (Batman vs. Bratz) and subsequently colored gender-stereotyped versus gender-neutral illustrations with male and female-stereotyped color crayons. Color was ignored in booklet choice. More colors were used for figures stereotypically associated with one’s own gender. Boys’ use of female-stereotyped colors did not vary across figures and differed significantly from chance. Boys avoided coloring the female-stereotyped figure and using pink. Girls used fewer female-stereotyped colors for the male-stereotyped figure but used both types of color equally for the other figures. The results were discussed in terms of children’s socialization into gender roles

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Rachel Karniol

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  1. Rachel Karniol
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Correspondence to Rachel Karniol.

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I would like to thank Adi Gabai and Hila Shendler for conducting this study.

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Karniol, R. The Color of Children’s Gender Stereotypes. Sex Roles 65, 119–132 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-9989-1

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