Why are little boys more likely to have an extremely intense interest than are little girls?

Question

A recent study at Yale Medical school found that young boys are much more likely to show a passionate interest in an activity or a category of objects than are young girls. (We're talking as young as 11 months, here.) Any ideas on why that might be?

Reference: Planes, trains, automobiles--and tea sets: Extremely intense interests in very young children. DeLoache, Judy S.; Simcock, Gabrielle; Macari, Suzanne; Developmental Psychology, Vol 43(6), Nov 2007. pp. 1579-1586.

Answer 1

I've noticed that, too. Maybe it has something to do with the notion that women are better at multitasking.

KSOILEAU: By saying "notion," I implied that I wasn't convinced of it myself. If I was, I would have said "fact."

Answer 2

Maybe boys tend to focus on things, and girls tend to focus on people, faces, etc.

Answer 3

A difference between the sexes that significant would seem to indicate a biological connection rather than any kind of construction.  It would be interesting to follow the life of that little boy.  Does that kind of intense focus last or does it diminish over time?  Does the intense interest develop later in girls than it does in boys?  Much more research would need to be done to determine if this is consistently the case over time, but it is rather alarming to think that there is such a clear distinction between boys and girls in terms of focus (at least at young ages).  I'm not sure what it means long-term...but it may explain a lot of things.

Answer 4

Rant just give me a second: Just got a brand new developmental psychology book...printed in 2008. Isnt that why college students are paying so much for there stupid books so they will be updated and accurate!?  Plus I tried searching it...got to spend 11.25 to read the study. Ahh anyway....

I imagine it has something to do with the development of focus and multitasking.  One side vs both kinda thing.  

    

Answer 5

I'm glad that they have established this to be true of little boys.  It has long been known to be true of boy babies, who even as neonates are more interested in their crib toys than in their mommies' faces.  And it has always been known to be true of older boys and men, who have hobbies, who pursue science projects, who write music, who design bridges, who play video games, who program computers.  Which is why, generally speaking, boys are interesting and girls are dull:  Without interests you're uninteresting.  And being bored is good evidence that you're boring.

Answer 6

How much is 'much more likely'?  Stats would be good  :-)

Answer 7

I agree with Rio. about the older children.  Young female multi-taskers.  As for toddlers and younger, girl children speak and walk sooner, so I imagine that they are working on those skills and not obsessing on toys.  

However, I have worked with young girls teaching gymnastics and they DO obsess on toys as much as little boys.  I suspect that the outcome of this experiment is a self-proving hypothesis.  If you look to find something, you will find it.

Answer 8

It's hard to develop as intense an interest in toys that only look pretty, make interesting sounds, and light up as most of the toys aimed at girls do. None of them encourage any sort of creativity. Basically, all they are good for is to pick up, look at, lose interest in, and then put down again. Of course girls aren't going to develop the same kind of intense interest when most of the toys aimed at them really are little more than pretty looking pieces of junk.

Edit: TransAmerican, girls are not dull. I have two myself and wouldn't trade them for sons for anything. Hasn't it ever occurred to you that social conditioning plays a large part? Boys are expected and encouraged to be creative and develop hobbies while in many families, girls are not. They don't have as high expectations for girls so they are not encouraged. My daughters are not at all dull. They are quite intelligent and have a variety of interests. Don't be so quick to dismiss an entire group of people based on your own preconceived notions.

Answer 9

"I've noticed that, too. Maybe it has something to do with the notion that women are better at multitasking." Do you have any studies to defend this "notion"? I can't help but notice that the article stated boys have more intense interest, and then you instantly went into female supremacy mode by stating that women were "better" at something than men. Tsk, tsk.