Sex differences in rhesus monkey toy preferences parallel those of children

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Janice M. Hassett, Emory University; Erin Siebert, Emory University; Kim Wallen, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2008-08
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.03.008
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Hormones and Behavior
• ISSN: 0018-506X
• Volume: 54
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 359
• End Page: 364
• Grant/Funding Information: Research was supported in part by Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grant 52003071, by the STC Program, the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, of the NSF under agreement No. IBN-9876754, and NIH grants R01-MH50268 and K02-MH01062 (K.W.), and NCRR grant RR-00165 to the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, which is fully accredited with the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care.; National Center for Research Resources : NCRR; National Institute of Mental Health : NIMH
• Keywords: toy preference; sex differences; hormones; socialization; children; gender; rhesus monkey
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, General

Abstract

Socialization processes, parents, or peers encouraging play with gender specific toys are thought to be the primary force shaping sex differences in toy preference. A contrast in view is that toy preferences reflect biologically determined preferences for specific activities facilitated by specific toys. Sex differences in juvenile activities, such as rough and tumble play, peer preferences, and infant interest, share similarities in humans and monkeys. Thus if activity preferences shape toy preferences, male and female monkeys may show toy preferences similar to those seen in boys and girls. We compared the interactions of 34 rhesus monkeys, living within a 135 monkey troop, with human wheeled toys and plush toys. Male monkeys, like boys, showed consistent and strong preferences for wheeled toys, while female monkeys, like girls, showed greater variability in preferences. Thus, the magnitude of preference for wheeled over plush toys differed significantly between males and females. The similarities to human findings demonstrate that such preferences can develop without explicit gendered socialization. We offer the hypothesis that toy preferences reflect hormonally influenced behavioral and cognitive biases which are sculpted by social processes into the sex differences seen in monkeys and humans.