Toy Preference Test

Abstract

The Toy Preference Test (TTP), also known as the De Lucian Toy Preference Test, is a specialized psychological scale developed by Lenore A. DeLucia in 1963. Its primary function is to assess sex-role identification and preferences among young children, typically ranging from Kindergartners through fourth graders. The instrument is based on presenting participants with photographs of 52 familiar toys, which were initially rated on a nine-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly masculine) to 9 (strongly feminine). These ratings allowed for the creation of two standardized sets (A and B), each containing 24 forced-choice toy pairs used during administration.

Keywords

Toy Preference Test, De Lucian Toy Preference Test, Sex Role, Childhood Development, Gender Identity, Personality Development, Toy Preferences, Early Childhood Assessment.

Authors

DeLucia, Lenore A.

Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the Toy Preference Test is to provide an objective, quantifiable measure of sex-role identification in young children. By requiring the child to choose between two toys that have been previously scaled for their cultural association with masculinity or femininity, the test aims to quantify the degree to which a child aligns their spontaneous preferences with traditional gender norms.

This assessment tool is highly relevant for researchers focusing on childhood development and the socialization process of gender roles. It allows for standardized comparisons across different age cohorts within the early school years, helping to track the development and rigidity of gender-typed behaviors in relation to toy selection.

Construct

The scale measures Sex Role Preferences. This construct is defined as a child’s inclination to select interests, activities, or objects—specifically toys—that are culturally and socially designated as appropriate for their biological sex. The TTP specifically focuses on the external behavioral manifestation of sex-role identification.

By using photographs of toys representing a clear gender continuum, the test provides a snapshot of the child’s internalized understanding and adherence to societal gender expectations regarding play items. A high score indicates strong sex-appropriate preferences, while lower scores suggest cross-gender interest or less conventional sex-role identification.

Validity

The original documentation for the Toy Preference Test explicitly states that no validity was indicated. This means that formal psychometric studies designed to confirm the scale’s ability to accurately measure the intended construct (Sex Role Preferences) were either not conducted, not published, or not referenced in the initial report.

While the test relies on the face validity of using culturally relevant gender-typed toys, researchers should note the absence of empirical evidence supporting the construct or criterion validity of the TTP. Modern usage of this scale would necessitate further validation studies to ensure its relevance and accuracy, particularly given the evolution of toy marketing and gender perceptions since 1963.

Reliability

Reliability data for the TTP focuses on Test-retest reliability, which assesses the stability of the children’s preferences over a period of time. The results indicated moderate consistency:

• The test-retest reliability coefficients (rho) ranged from .67 to .72.
• These statistics were calculated specifically when the test was administered by an experimenter whose sex was opposite to that of the child participant, suggesting that the gender of the administrator did not significantly distort the consistency of the child’s underlying preferences.
• A reliability score in this range suggests that, while preferences are generally stable, there is room for fluctuation, potentially reflecting the dynamic nature of toy interest during early childhood development.

Factor Analysis

Information regarding the factor structure or the results of any internal factor analysis of the Toy Preference Test is not indicated in the source materials. The lack of factor analysis makes it challenging to empirically confirm whether the 48 paired items truly measure a single, cohesive dimension of sex-role preference, or if they cluster into multiple sub-factors related to different types of play or activities.

The instrument’s design implies a unidimensional scale, where all items contribute equally to a total score representing general gender-typed preference. However, without formal analysis, the internal structure remains unverified.

Instrument

Test Type: Test

Format: The instrument utilizes 48 paired photographs of toys (derived from 52 source toys). Each toy was pre-rated on a 9-point scale (1 = strongly masculine; 9 = strongly feminine). During testing, the child selects one toy from each pair. Responses are scored dichotomously: 1 point is assigned for a selection considered sex-appropriate, and 0 points are assigned for a selection considered sex-inappropriate. The maximum achievable score per set is 24 points.

Language Available: Not specified (Presumed English).

Population Group: Humans; Male; Female

Age Group: Childhood (birth–12 years)

Population Details: The original sample consisted of children across the early primary school years, specifically Kindergartners through 4th graders.

Test Methodology: The test consists of two separate sets (A and B), each containing 24 unique pairs of toy pictures. This methodology forces a decision, allowing the researcher to quantify the child’s gender-typed preferences based on the cumulative scores across the chosen pairs.

Keywords

Psychological Testing, Gender Development, Test-Retest Reliability, Masculinity, Femininity, Early Childhood Assessment, DeLucia Scale.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided (Author affiliated with Broum University).

Correspondence Address: Not provided.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Toy Preference Test was published in 1963. Since the specific test items and photographs are proprietary, access to the instrument requires contacting the original author (Lenore A. DeLucia) or the publisher associated with Broum University regarding permissions, licensing fees, and availability of the standardized materials.

Reference’s

• DeLucia, L. A. (1963). Toy Preference Test. United States.

Items of the Toy Preference Test

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Test Items Available: No (Contact the publisher or author for item details)