Mapping sex group stereotypes of elementary and high school students

This study investigated the sex group stereotypes of youths of elementary and high school age. A total of 60 males and 60 females evaluated boys and girls on a semantic differential type scale. The results indicated that younger members of both sexes were more positive about their own sex and more negative about the opposite sex than were their older counterparts. In addition, adolescent males, but not adolescent females, adopted more favorable evaluations of the opposite sex over their own sex group. Possible explanations are offered to account for these findings.