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. 2025 Jun;43(2):396-417.
doi: 10.1111/bjdp.12502. Epub 2024 Jun 6.

Parents' mental state language and child gender: A scoping review of developmental evidence

Callyn Farrell  1 , Ellen Sanderson  1 , Aisling Mulvihill  1 , Michael Thai  1 , Virginia Slaughter  1
Affiliations

Parents' mental state language and child gender: A scoping review of developmental evidence

Callyn Farrell et al. Br J Dev Psychol. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Mental state language (MSL) is an important mechanism through which children learn about their social world and place within it. Previous research has suggested that parents may use MSL differently towards children based on their child's gender. However, findings are inconsistent. This scoping review explores the consistency of reported differences in parents' MSL use as a function of children's gender while exploring the methodological variables that may provide insights into these differences. Based on a review of the 27 studies included, 12 found a significant relationship between child gender and parents' MSL, while the remaining did not. The included studies used a range of methodological approaches to elicit MSL. This scoping review allows researchers and practitioners to reflect upon assumptions regarding the associations between child gender and parents' MSL. Further, we call for the use of diverse and informed approaches when studying these associations from a developmental perspective in the future.

Keywords: child development; gender differences; language; mental state language; parents; scoping review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flow diagram of the scoping review process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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