The Pre-School Activities Inventory was developed as a reliable and valid psychometric questionnaire for the assessment of gender role behaviour in preschool children. Unlike existing tests, it has been designed to discriminate both within and between the sexes so that variation among as well as between boys and girls can be assessed. A further advantage is its focus on actual behaviour rather than on preferences; the questionnaire was designed to measure the child’s frequency of play with respect to a variety of toys, games, and activities.

As preschool children tend to be unreliable reporters, the Pre-School Activities Inventory is completed by the child’s mother or other caretaker. Following the trend in measures of gender role behaviour in older children, such as the Children’s Personal Attributes Questionnaire (Hall & Halberstadt, 1980) and the Children’s Sex-Role Self Concept Inventory (Kurdek & Siesky, 1980: Stericker & Kurdek, 1982), the PSAI also includes items relating to the child’s temperamental characteristics. The PSAI is a research tool that can be applied to a wide range of studies of gender role behaviour in young boys and girls, for example, to investigate developmental changes in gender role behaviour or factors associated with variation in gender role behaviour in boys or girls. The PSAI allows meaningful comparisons between different groups of children and, by providing normative data, enables individual children to be assessed.

Despite being developed over thirty years ago, the Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI) continues to be a crucial tool in psychological research, especially relevant in today’s climate where gender identity is increasingly recognized as a spectrum that includes non-binary and transgender identities. The PSAI helps researchers understand how early perceptions of gender roles, influenced significantly by parents and caregivers, shape the development of young children. This tool’s ability to assess gender role behavior provides essential insights into the foundations of gender identity from a young age.

As society progresses in its understanding and acceptance of diverse gender identities, the PSAI remains invaluable. It offers a nuanced look into how early gender role behaviors can predict later life preferences and identities, making it a cornerstone for studies focused on gender development. The PSAI’s robust framework allows for meaningful comparisons between different groups of children, aiding researchers in pinpointing how variations in early gender role behavior correlate with broader developmental outcomes. This enduring relevance underscores the PSAI’s role as a vital instrument in ongoing discussions about gender identity in psychological research.

The Pre-School Activities Inventory was developed as a reliable and valid psychometric questionnaire for the assessment of gender role behaviour in preschool children. Unlike existing tests, it has been designed to discriminate both within and between the sexes so that variation among as well as between boys and girls can be assessed. A further advantage is its focus on actual behaviour rather than on preferences; the questionnaire was designed to measure the child’s frequency of play with respect to a variety of toys, games, and activities.

As preschool children tend to be unreliable reporters, the Pre-School Activities Inventory is completed by the child’s mother or other caretaker. Following the trend in measures of gender role behaviour in older children, such as the Children’s Personal Attributes Questionnaire (Hall & Halberstadt, 1980) and the Children’s Sex-Role Self Concept Inventory (Kurdek & Siesky, 1980: Stericker & Kurdek, 1982), the PSAI also includes items relating to the child’s temperamental characteristics. The PSAI is a research tool that can be applied to a wide range of studies of gender role behaviour in young boys and girls, for example, to investigate developmental changes in gender role behaviour or factors associated with variation in gender role behaviour in boys or girls. The PSAI allows meaningful comparisons between different groups of children and, by providing normative data, enables individual children to be assessed.

Despite being developed over thirty years ago, the Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI) continues to be a crucial tool in psychological research, especially relevant in today’s climate where gender identity is increasingly recognized as a spectrum that includes non-binary and transgender identities. The PSAI helps researchers understand how early perceptions of gender roles, influenced significantly by parents and caregivers, shape the development of young children. This tool’s ability to assess gender role behavior provides essential insights into the foundations of gender identity from a young age.

As society progresses in its understanding and acceptance of diverse gender identities, the PSAI remains invaluable. It offers a nuanced look into how early gender role behaviors can predict later life preferences and identities, making it a cornerstone for studies focused on gender development. The PSAI’s robust framework allows for meaningful comparisons between different groups of children, aiding researchers in pinpointing how variations in early gender role behavior correlate with broader developmental outcomes. This enduring relevance underscores the PSAI’s role as a vital instrument in ongoing discussions about gender identity in psychological research.

Publications

• Golombok, S., Rust, J., Xervoulis, K, Golding, J and Hines, M. (2012) Continuity in sex-typed behavior from preschool to adolescence: A longitudinal population study of boys and girls aged 3 to 12 years. Archives of Sexual Behavior 41(3), 591-597.
• Golombok, S., Rust, J., Zervoulis, K., Croudace, T., Golding, J. & Hines, M. (2008) Developmental trajectories of sex-typed behaviour in boys and girls: A longitudinal population study of children aged 2.5 to 8 years. Child Development. 79(5) 1583-159.
• Iervolino, A., Hines, M., Golombok, S., Rust, J. & Plomin, R (2005) Genetic and environmental influences on sex-typed behaviour in pre-school children: A study of 2,426 same-sex twin pairs at 3 and 4 years of age. Child Development, 76(4), 826-840.
• Hines, M., Golombok, S., Rust, J., Johnston, K and Golding, J. (2002) Testosterone during pregnancy and gender-role behavior in preschool children: A longitudinal population study. Child Development. 73(6), 342-357.
• Hines, M., Johnston, K., Golombok, S., Rust, J., Stevens, M., Golding, J. and the ALSPAC study team.  (2002) Prenatal stress and gender-role behavior in girls and boys: A longitudinal population study. Hormones and Behavior.  42, 126-134.
• Rust, J., Golombok, S., Hines, M., Johnston, K., Golding, J. and the ALSPAC study team (2000) The role of brothers and sisters in gender development in preschool children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 77(4), 292-303.
• Golombok, S. and Rust, J. (1993) The measurement of gender role behavior in preschool children: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines. 34(5) 805-811.
• Golombok, S. and Rust, J. (1993) The Preschool Activities Inventory: A standardized assessment of gender role in children. Psychological Assessment, 5(2), 131-136.