Gender differences in children's hero attributions: Personal hero choices and evaluations of typical male and female heroes

The current study investigated gender differences in the personal hero choices, hero attributions, and characteristics attributed to typical male and female heroes of children living in the Midwestern United States (N=103; mean age=10 years). Questionnaires were completed in a school setting. The majority of girls chose heroes personally known to them; boys chose personal and public figures equally often. Most boys chose same gender heroes; girls' nominations were mixed. Gender differences were also seen in the characteristics children attributed to their own heroes and in their conceptions of typical male and female heroes. Children rated same-gender typical heroes more positively on many attributes, except for stereotypically masculine characteristics. Gender socialization, stereotypes, and in-group favoritism were used to explain these findings.