Kung Karson T F
Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Front Psychol. 2022 Jul 6;13:927998. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.927998. eCollection 2022.
Substantial average gender differences in childhood play behaviour and occupational interests have been well-documented. Recent research shows that childhood gender-related play behaviour longitudinally predicts gender-related occupational interests in adolescence (Kung, 2021). The first aim of the present study was to extend this recent finding by examining whether university students' recalled childhood gender-related play behaviour predicts their current gender-related occupational interests. The second aim of the present study was to investigate whether gender-related socio-cognitive processes mediate the relation between childhood play behaviour and subsequent occupational interests. University students (260 men, 542 women) completed scales assessing recalled childhood gender-related play behaviour, gender-related occupational interests, gender typicality, gender contentedness, agentic goal endorsement, communal goal endorsement, and gender-related occupational stereotype flexibility. In the present study, recalled childhood gender-related play behaviour predicted gender-related occupational interests in both men and women. In men, gender typicality and gender contentedness mediated the play-interests link. In women, gender typicality and communal goal endorsement mediated the play-interests link. The present study provides further evidence that childhood gender-related play behaviour is related to subsequent gender-related occupational interests. Although the current study has a correlational design, one interpretation of the current findings is that childhood play may influence socio-cognitive processes, such as gender compatibility and goal endorsement, which may in turn shape occupational interests.
童年时期的玩耍行为和职业兴趣存在显著的平均性别差异，这一点已有充分记录。最近的研究表明，童年时期与性别相关的玩耍行为能够纵向预测青少年时期与性别相关的职业兴趣（孔，2021）。本研究的首要目的是通过考察大学生回忆起的童年时期与性别相关的玩耍行为是否能预测他们当前与性别相关的职业兴趣，来扩展这一最新发现。本研究的第二个目的是调查与性别相关的社会认知过程是否介导了童年玩耍行为与后续职业兴趣之间的关系。大学生（260名男性，542名女性）完成了一些量表，这些量表用于评估回忆起的童年时期与性别相关的玩耍行为、与性别相关的职业兴趣、性别典型性、性别满意度、能动性目标认同、社群性目标认同以及与性别相关的职业刻板印象灵活性。在本研究中，回忆起的童年时期与性别相关的玩耍行为能够预测男性和女性与性别相关的职业兴趣。在男性中，性别典型性和性别满意度介导了玩耍与兴趣之间的联系。在女性中，性别典型性和社群性目标认同介导了玩耍与兴趣之间的联系。本研究提供了进一步的证据，表明童年时期与性别相关的玩耍行为与后续与性别相关的职业兴趣有关。尽管当前研究采用的是相关设计，但对当前研究结果的一种解释是，童年玩耍可能会影响社会认知过程，比如性别兼容性和目标认同，而这反过来可能会塑造职业兴趣。
