Using the Naturalistic Observation my hypothesis was simply is the children’s choice a naturally driven behavior in an active aggressive or active passive ways. By watching a group of 7 year old boys and girls in a daycare setting over a few days, I was able to see the different behaviors. I thought I would discover that girls are just as aggressive as boys but that is not necessarily so. Ethically speaking, I was able to ask the parents if I may observe the children (not using their names or the location of the daycare) for the class assignment and showed them the assignment. Informed consent is a process in which a participant consents to participate in a research project after being informed of its procedures; risks, benefits, and dignity are all protected.
Yes, 7 year old boys seem to be hard-wired for more active and aggressive pursuits than 7 year old girls. Boys are more physically active than girls, in infancy and throughout childhood. They kick, swing their arms and race around the house noticeably more than girls do, as many exhausted parents can testify. Girls are quite content to sit there and play with their dolls where the boys like trucks and wrestling around. Given a choice of Power Rangers, Tonka, and a Barbie beauty set, the 7 year olds, boys and girls, actually prefer the gender appropriate choices. In fact, children’s gendered toy choice is one of the largest sex differences in behavior.
