Who Cares About Caring? Gender Stereotypes About Communal Values Emerge Early and Predict Boys’ Prosocial Preferences

Communal values (i.e., valuing care for and connection with others) are important to individual wellbeing and societal functioning yet show marked gender differences, with girls valuing communion more than boys do. We examined whether endorsement of gender stereotypes associating communal values more with girls than with boys relate to children’s own communal values and interests, potentially giving rise to gender differences in preferences. We tested this relation across two studies with Canadian children between the ages of 4 and 11 years (N = 379; 92 girls, 287 boys; majorityWhite and East Asian or Pacific Islander).We assessed children’s stereotypes about communal values (Studies 1 and 2; e.g., “Who do you think cares more about always helping other people, even if it takes effort? Boys or girls?”), as well as the extent to which children themselves (a) valued communion and (b) displayed interest in communal activities (Study 2). In both studies, we found that children older than 6 consistently associated communal values with girls more than with boys. Younger children, in contrast, exhibited an ingroup bias—they associated communal values with their own gender. Study 2, which included only boys, found that endorsement of stereotypes associating communal values with girls predicted lower personal endorsement of communal values and lower interest in communal activities among boys older, but not younger, than 6. These results suggest that gender stereotypes about communal values are learned early and predict boys’ disengagement from communal domains. Implications for gender differences in values and behavior are discussed.