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What Shapes Children's Social Evaluations? Integrating Status and Gender in Middle Childhood

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Social Development

Published online on

Abstract

["Social Development, Volume 35, Issue 3, August 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nChildren's social judgments reflect both status and gender, yet little is known about how these features intersect to inform children's impressions. In the present study, 5‐ to 10‐year‐old children were presented with boy and girl characters described as either high or low social status and reported a variety of status‐relevant judgments and trait ratings of the characters. Results revealed a selective same‐gender bias in which children preferred high‐status members of their own gender. Children also demonstrated some awareness of a status hierarchy favoring boys, particularly in indirect measures of leadership. Explicit recognition of boys’ higher status emerged primarily among older children. Finally, children expressed generally positive attitudes toward all characters, regardless of status or gender. Overall, the results highlight the joint presence of status and gender in children's evaluations of others.\n"]