Young children (e.g., preschoolers and kindergartners) are both fascinated by and fearful of masks, painted faces, costumed individuals, etc. Based on the literature on the development of a stable gender-role identity, how might the fascination/fear reaction of these young children be explained? (This question can be answered by generalizing what is known about the development of gender identity

Question

to identity in a more general sense.)

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Although preschool and kindergarten children are well aware of their own gender and have taken on many behaviors that are gender-appropriate, they still waiver a bit with respect to the constancy of that identity. That is, they are not certain yet that a change in hairstyle, clothing, or voice quality (when playacting) could not cause a change in identity, either temporarily or permanently. This lack of certainty regarding the constancy of identity can lead a preschool child to dissolve in tears while watching mom or dad play the part of a gruff or mean person in a play. In this case, the uncertainty is about the constancy of the identity of someone else, someone very important to the child. Uncertainty regarding the child's own identity can also result in adverse reactions in some situations. For example, a preschool boy may cry and carry on when he gets a glimpse of the pirate face that mom so carefully painted on him for Halloween (it wouldn't matter that he had begged to be a pirate for days). (Note: such experiences may be instrumental in eventually convincing the child of the constancy of identity. The distressed child should be handled sensitively by adults and siblings rather than with ridicule or derisive teasing.)