Cross-National Gender Differences in Adolescents' Preferences for Free-Time Activities

Abstract

According to a procedure developed by Sundberg and Tyler, adoles cents (904, 14 to 16 years of age) from Cyprus, India, the Nether lands, and the United States listed all the free-time activities they could think of, checking those they would consider for themselves. In each sample boys checked relatively more sports activities and more group activities as possible for themselves than did girls, although the result for sports in Cyprus was of borderline signifi cance. The pervasive gender differences in the use of free time correspond with widespread gender-trait stereotyping and may reflect differential socialization practices for girls and boys.

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