Pronoun emphasis in stories

For 4- to 8-year-old children

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Participate Now!” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you.

Your child will listen to a short story about the daily life of a child character. Depending on their condition assignment, the story may include some information about the child's pronouns. Afterwards, your child will complete a few activities where they can share their thoughts and feelings about different children and gender-related behaviors. For example, these questions will ask children if they agree or disagree with statements like: "A kid can choose to be a boy or a girl," "A kid can change from a boy to a girl," and "Is it okay that this child used she/her pronouns when she was younger, but now uses he/him pronouns?"

From previous research, we know that children begin forming beliefs about gender from an early age, including whether gender is something a person is born with and can never change. These beliefs, known as gender essentialism, have been linked to more negative attitudes toward children who do not follow typical gender expectations. Children pick up on many everyday cues to build these beliefs, including gendered language like pronouns (e.g., he, she, they).

In the current study, some children will hear a story that includes information about a character's pronouns, while others will hear the same story without it. By comparing how children in each group answer questions about whether a kid can change from a boy to a girl, and how they feel about children who change their pronouns, we can learn whether hearing about pronouns influences how children think about gender. Understanding this will help researchers and educators learn how children's everyday language experiences shape their thinking about gender, which can ultimately help inform approaches to reducing gender-based prejudice.

15 minutes

After the session we will send you a $10 payment via an Amazon.com gift card within one week.

Each participating child must be between 4- and 8-years old and can only receive one gift card.