Early Androgens Are Related to Childhood Sex-Typed Toy Preferences

Abstract

Girls with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) who were exposed to high levels of androgen in the prenatal and early postnatal periods showed increased play with boys toys and reduced play with girls’ toys compared with their unexposed female relatives at ages 3 to 8. Boys with CAH did not differ from their male relatives in play with boys’ or girls’ toys. These results suggest that early hormone exposure in females has a masculinizing effect on sex-typed toy preferences. © 1992, Association for Psychological Science. All rights reserved.