Abstract
This study was designed to investigate the effects of the sex of a partner and the type of toys on preschool age children's behavior during dyadic play interactions. Fifty-one preschoolers paired with a same-sex peer or a cross-sex peer were observed when they were playing with one of three types of toys: masculine-typed, feminine-typed, and neutral toys. The results indicated that the sex of a partner influenced children's behavior during play interactions with masculine-typed or feminine-typed toys in several points. Children, for example, shared masculine-typed or feminine-typed toys when they were paired with a same-sex peer, but when paired with a cross-sex peer, they would not share the toys. Especially, girls were found to be less active in their behavior toward a cross-sex peer than toward a same-sex peer. It was also found that children's behavior toward a same-sex peer was not substantially related to their behavior toward a cross-sex peer. Considering these findings, it was suggested that social behavior in children should be understood in relation to their interactive partners.
