Partner influences on sex-associated spoken language of children

Sex-associated features of spoken language were studied in 24 normal White middle-class children ages 4, 8, and 12 years. One hundred utterance units for each subject in conversations of same-sex and mixed-sex dyads of peers were recorded and transcribed. In same-sex dyads, boys talked significantly more about sports and location; girls referred significantly more to school, identity, and wishing and needing. In mixed-sex dyads, girls laughed significantly more, and were significantly more verbally compliant. Boys used significantly more direct requests and sound effects, and talked significantly more about sports in this situation. Major conclusions were that sex of speaker and sex of dyadic partner influence the spoken language of children.This article is based on the author's doctoral dissertation at Teachers College, Columbia University. Special thanks are extended to the dissertation sponsor, Edward Mysak, and committee members, Lois Bloom and Mary Parlee, for their generous guidance and support. Appreciation is also expressed to Mark Kesselman, Owen Whitby, Eleanor Morrison, Chester Mazur, Charles Elliott, Fred Maulucci, and Anthony Robinson for their suggestions and participation. Portions of this paper were presented at the Ninth World Congress of Sociology, Uppsala, Sweden, August 1978.