Playing with Barbie dolls could limit girls' career choices: Study

Researchers have said that girls who play with Barbie dolls see fewer career options for themselves than for boys.

Aurora M. Sherman, an associate professor in the School of Psychological Science at Oregon State University, said that playing with Barbie has an effect on girls' ideas about their place in the world, asserting that it creates a limit on the sense of what's possible for their future.

Barbie, introduced in 1959, was the first "fashion doll," with an emphasis on her clothes and appearance.

Girls ages 4 to 7 were randomly assigned to play with one of three dolls: a fashion Barbie with dress and high-heeled shoes; a career Barbie with a doctor's coat and stethoscope; or a Mrs. Potato Head with accessories such as purses and shoes. Mrs. Potato Head was selected as a neutral doll because the toy is similar in color and texture, but doesn't have the sexualized characteristics of Barbie.

After a few minutes of play, the girls were asked if they could do any of 10 occupations when they grew up. They were also asked if boys could do those jobs. Half of the careers were traditionally male-dominated and half were female-dominated.

Girls who played with Barbie thought they could do fewer jobs than boys could do. But girls who played with Mrs. Potato Head reported nearly the same number of possible careers for themselves and for boys.

The research has been published in the journal Sex Roles.