Social learning theory suggests that gender identity and sex role stereotypes are outcomes of the developmental process. The influence of the parental socialization about the acquisition of gender identity is considered extremely important. The purposes of the present study were to investigate how parents perceive their influence on this developmental process. Nine mothers and two fathers were interviewed. The results indicate that parental beliefs about sex roles determine different behavioral expectations for sons and daughters and give different patterns of responses to them.
gender identity; sex type; sex role stereotype