In this comprehensive text gender development is examined from infancy through adolescence, integrating biological, socialization, and cognitive perspectives. The book's primary focus is on gender role behaviors - how they develop and the roles biological and experiential factors play in their development. The first section of the text introduces the field and outlines its history. Part II focuses on the differences between the sexes, including the biology of sex and the latest research on behavioral sex differences, Part III explores contemporary perspectives on gender development - biological, social and environmental. The social agents of gender development, including children themselves, family, peers, the media, and schools are addressed in the final part.