Sex and Age Differences in Young Children's Reactions to Frustration: A Further Look at the Goldberg and Lewis Subjects

1-year follow-up data on children originally observed by Goldberg and Lewis in a barrier frustration situation suggest that sex differences in success at coping with the frustration may change with age and may be dependent on what behaviors are considered to be more instrumental in solving the frustration.

Abstract

This study reports 1-year follow-up data on the children originally observed by Goldberg and Lewis in a barrier frustration situation. Changes in reactions to frustration over a 2-year time span were examined for age and sex differences. Regardless of sex, over the first 2 years of life, barrier frustration was responded to with a decrease in stress and an increase in problem-solving behavior. The data suggest that sex differences in success at coping with the frustration may change with age and may be dependent on what behaviors are considered to be more instrumental in solving the frustration. Sex differences related to behavior in the barrier frustration were highly age specific. As previously reported in Goldberg and Lewis, at 1 year of age boys cried less and made more active attempts to get around the barrier than girls. However, at 2 years of age, girls vocalized more for help from the mother and made more attempts at problem solving than boys.