Research Findings: Boys Are Usually depicted as Active Agents, while Girls are portrayed as Passive Characters in Children's Television Shows for 6 Decades
In a groundbreaking study published in Psychological Science this week, researchers have analysed the language used in children's television over the past six decades, revealing a persistent reinforcement of harmful gender stereotypes. The study, which examined 6,600 episodes, 2.7 million sentences, and 16 million words from 98 children's television programmes in the U.S., highlights the need for greater awareness of the messages we are sending to children through the media they consume.
The study found that male words were used twice as often as female words in 1960, and by 2018, children were still hearing male words 50% more frequently than female words. This pattern, according to the researchers, can quietly teach children that agency belongs more naturally to boys than to girls, even when no one intends that message.
Moreover, the study indicates that the language used in children's television is reinforcing traditional gender roles. Male characters are often portrayed as active agents, while female characters are more often portrayed as passive recipients. This bias is not just about who gets more lines; it's about who gets to act, lead, and shape the story.
The researchers employed natural language processing tools to examine which words were more likely to be associated with male characters and which were more likely to be associated with female characters. The findings suggest that biased ideas about gender roles may develop in children due to watching television, as male characters are more often portrayed as active agents.
The study also found that male characters dominated money talk, with the odds of finding a male word in a sentence with money-related words being 24% higher than the odds of finding a female word. This gender gap in money talk remained unchanged over time.
The authors of the study have pointed out that the increasing popularity of script-writing programs powered by AI, which are trained on language from pre-existing screenplays, adds urgency to the goal of uncovering social biases in children's media. The study underscores the importance of addressing gender biases in children's media, particularly in light of the rising popularity of such programs.
Professor Andrei Cimpian, an author on the paper, has explained that the biases in children's television are not just about who gets more lines; they're about who gets to act, lead, and shape the story. He argues that if women want to achieve equality with men, it is important to start with the stories children watch, addressing both what is said in those stories and who gets to say it.
The long-term effects of these gender stereotypes in children's television on real-world perceptions of male and female roles are significant and multifaceted. The study findings imply that if children continue to watch programs where men have more agency, they may grow up to believe that agency belongs more naturally to boys than to girls. This can limit the range of behaviours and aspirations children feel are acceptable or attainable for their gender, influencing their personal identity development and societal beliefs about gender.
The study also reveals that while there are gradual increases in representation of non-binary and transgender identities, these remain a tiny minority. The scarcity of diverse gender identities in children's media means many children grow up with very narrow views of gender, reinforcing binary and stereotypical gender roles.
In sum, the study underscores the importance of providing diverse, non-stereotypical, and inclusive media content to children. Efforts to address gender biases in children's media can help mitigate the long-term effects of persistent gender stereotypes, ensuring that children grow up with a broader understanding of gender roles and a more equitable society.
- The study on gender bias in children's television revealed that besides the usage of more male words, male characters are frequently portrayed as active agents, while female characters are more often passive recipients, hinting at potential biases in lifestyle choices and fashion-and-beauty roles.
- The researchers' findings suggest that children's education and self-development could be affected by the persistent gender biases in children's television, as male characters dominate money talk and there's a scarcity of diverse gender identities, potentially limiting children's understanding of gender roles and future aspirations.
