Research LibraryDavis, J. T. M., & Hines, M. (2020 (online January 27, 2020; February 2020 issue)). Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(2), 373-394. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-01624-7.
Read the original source →A meta-analysis of 75 studies (113 effect sizes) found substantial average differences in children's preferences for toys researchers classified as boy-related versus girl-related, while also finding that study methods and toy classification affected the results.
Supports using gender as one general starting-point signal when little else is known about a child, while making clear it's a group-level pattern -- explicit, individual interests should outrank it whenever they're known, consistent with GiftNav's own ranking logic.
A group-level average across many studies -- cannot predict what any individual child wants, and does not establish a single causal origin for the pattern (biological, social, or marketing-driven).
Last reviewed September 15, 2026.