Social problem solving: Effect of context and parent sex

A group of 368 children, ages 3, 5, and 7, half boys and half girls, were seen with their mothers and fathers in two contexts. First, they were observed with all family members in their homes, with instructions to continue with normal activities. Then they were seen separately in the laboratory with each parent, who was asked to help them solve a problem involving a common social situation. In the laboratory situation, boys and girls were given equal amounts of help by their parents. Mothers and fathers behaved in similar fashion in the laboratory, and the only significant differences were with the children's ages. In the home, mothers and fathers did differ, with the mother giving more instruction and providing more instruction to girls.