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Study Says Parents Can Influence the Toys Kids Play With

This New Study Found That Parents Influence Their Kids to Play With Specific Toys

Study Says Parents Can Influence the Toys Kids Play With

A study published in the September edition of Sex Roles suggests parents may have more of a say over which toys their children play with. According to the research, moms and dads can impact their kids' preferences by exposing them to playing with specific toys.

Rebecca J. Woods, the study's author and a researcher at North Dakota State University, analysed 51 infants and 60 toddlers, as well as their moms and dads, to see if parents could influence their child's choices during playtime.

During an initial test, Woods discovered that 5-month-old babies didn't have a specific preference between dolls and trucks. However, when the subjects were tested again at 12 months, boys opted for trucks, while girls still had no clear preference.

"There is a good deal of debate about how differences in behaviour between men and women come to be," Woods told PsyPost. "On the one hand, there are physiological differences that can influence behaviour, and on the other hand, we can be socialised to behave in a particular way."

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