Cultural Components of Sex Differences in Color Preference

Davis, Jac T. M.; Robertson, Ellen; Lew-Levy, Sheina; Neldner, Karri; Kapitany, Rohan; Nielsen, Mark; Hines, Melissa

Abstract

Preferences for pink and blue were tested in children aged 4–11 years in three small-scale societies: Shipibo villages in the Peruvian Amazon, kastom villages in the highlands of Tanna Island, Vanuatu, and BaYaka foragers in the northern Republic of Congo; and compared to children from an Australian global city (total N = 232). No sex differences were found in preference for pink in any of the three societies not influenced by global culture (ds − 0.31–0.23), in contrast to a female preference for pink in the global city (d = 1.24). Results suggest that the pairing of female and pink is a cultural phenomenon and is not driven by an essential preference for pink in girls.

Citation

Davis, J. T. M., Robertson, E., Lew-Levy, S., Neldner, K., Kapitany, R., Nielsen, M., & Hines, M. (2021). Cultural Components of Sex Differences in Color Preference. Child Development, 92(4), 1574-1589. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13528

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 31, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Jan 21, 2021
• Publication Date: Aug 9, 2021
• Deposit Date: Sep 11, 2023
• Journal: Child Development
• Print ISSN: 0009-3920
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-8624
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 92
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 1574-1589
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13528
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1734079