PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Kids have skewed view of gender segregation

2014-01-09
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Andy Henion
henion@msu.edu
517-355-3294
Michigan State University
Kids have skewed view of gender segregation

Children believe the world is far more segregated by gender than it actually is, implies a new study led by a Michigan State University scholar.

Jennifer Watling Neal and colleagues examined classroom friendships in five U.S. elementary schools. Their findings, published in the journal Child Development, found boys and girls had no problems being friends together but for some reason had a perception that only boys played with boys and girls played with girls.

"Kids believe gender plays a larger role in friendship that it actually does," said Neal, assistant professor of psychology.

Children who have more accurate perceptions of the social relationships around them may be better able to avoid conflict and have more positive interactions with their peers, Neal said.

The findings also have implications when the students grow up.

"In adulthood," Neal said, "we know that people who have accurate perceptions of workplace relationships tend to be perceived as more powerful and have better reputations than their colleagues."

The study of 426 second- through fourth-graders found gender is still important in the formation of friendships; children were nine times more likely to be friends if they were the same gender.

However, when asked about their friends' friends, a child was 50 times more likely to believe two classmates were friends when they were the same gender.

"Thus, while gender does matter a great deal in the formation of children's friendships, children think it is nearly the only relevant factor," Neal said.



INFORMATION:

Her co-authors were Zachary P. Neal, MSU assistant professor of sociology, and Elise Cappella, associate professor of applied psychology at New York University.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Many men start testosterone therapy without clear medical need

2014-01-09
Many men start testosterone therapy without clear medical need Study finds increased testing among men with normal hormone levels Chevy Chase, MD—Although testosterone use has sharply increased among older men in the past decade, many patients appear to have ...

Lions are critically endangered in West Africa

2014-01-09
Lions are critically endangered in West Africa New York, NY – A report published today concludes that the African lion is facing extinction across the entire West African region. The West African lion once ranged continuously from Senegal to Nigeria, but the new paper reveals ...

Acid mine drainage reduces radioactivity in fracking waste

2014-01-09
Acid mine drainage reduces radioactivity in fracking waste 2 wrongs could make a right in mining wastewater DURHAM, NC -- Much of the naturally occurring radioactivity in fracking wastewater might be removed by blending it with another wastewater from acid mine drainage, according ...

When charitable acts are 'tainted' by personal gain

2014-01-09
When charitable acts are 'tainted' by personal gain We tend to perceive a person's charitable efforts as less moral if the do-gooder reaps a reward from the effort, according to new research. This phenomenon — which researchers call ...

A powerful technique to further understanding of RNA

2014-01-09
A powerful technique to further understanding of RNA Qi Zhang sees himself as a warrior. In his lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he wages war on genetic diseases such as cancer and heart disease on a battlefield measured ...

Extraordinary sensors pushed to their boundaries

2014-01-09
Extraordinary sensors pushed to their boundaries A new step is being taken in the development of ultra-stable sensors of small forces Last year, Tobias Kippenberg and his team from the Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurements ...

Funding problems threaten US disaster preparedness

2014-01-09
Funding problems threaten US disaster preparedness A study by researchers at the George Washington University, the University of Southern California, and the Cabarrus Health Alliance lists seven recommendations to enhance preparedness for public health emergencies ...

Iconic Australasian trees found as fossils in South America

2014-01-09
Iconic Australasian trees found as fossils in South America Today in Australia they call it Kauri, in Asia they call it Dammar, and in South America it does not exist at all unless planted there; but 52 million years ago the giant coniferous evergreen tree known to botanists ...

Unravelling the web of a cosmic creeply-crawly

2014-01-09
Unravelling the web of a cosmic creeply-crawly This new Hubble image is the best-ever view of a cosmic creepy-crawly known as the Tarantula Nebula, a region full of star clusters, glowing gas, and dark dust. Astronomers are exploring and mapping ...

A galaxy with 2 hearts

2014-01-09
A galaxy with 2 hearts This new Hubble image shows the spiral galaxy Messier 83, otherwise known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy. One of the largest and closest barred spirals to us, this galaxy is dramatic and mysterious; it has hosted a large number ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Graz University of Technology opens up new avenues in lung cancer research with digital cell twin

Exoplanets are not water worlds

Study shows increasing ‘healthy competition’ between menu options nudges patients towards greener, lower-fat hospital food choices

New insights into melanoma plasticity uncover a critical role of iron metabolism

A graphene sandwich — deposited or transferred?

New light-powered motor fits inside a strand of hair

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers boost widespread use of dental varnish across pediatric network

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

[Press-News.org] Kids have skewed view of gender segregation