Do parents of gifted students emphasize sex role orientations for their sons and daughters?

Abstract

Parents of boys and girls enrolled in programs for gifted students in kindergarten through grade 12 completed a questionnaire on which they indicated the degree to which they agreed with statements about their child's performance in academic and social activities. They also indicated the criteria they used to make decisions about academic and social activities in which they would encourage their child to participate. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean item responses to the questionnaire for parents of boys and parents of girls. Parents emphasized social comparisons. They reported that they were most likely to make decisions about whether their child should participate in an activity based upon whether children not enrolled in gifted programs would be participating in the academic or social activity. The results of the study did not support the premise that parents reinforce different sex role orientations for daughters than for sons.

Key Words:

• sex role
• attitudes
• parental perceptions