Did you know that there was a study conducted in 2014 called “Boys Can Be Anything”: Effect of Barbie Play on Girls’ Career Cognitions,” where they allowed girls to play with Barbie Dolls for a total of 5 minutes resulting in a truncated view of equal career options with boys?

It is true, according to the study, these 37 girls–ages 4-7–were given three toy options to play with, a Barbie Doll, a doctor dressed up Barbie Doll and a Mrs. Potato Head. The kids were given 10 careers to choose from and the girls that played with either Dr. Barbie or the regular Barbie felt the career options were seen as too boyish or too masculine compared to those girls that played with the Mrs. Potato Head. Interestingly, the girls that played with Mrs. Potato Head found themselves to be just as capable as the boys.

Works Cited:

http://news.ucsc.edu/2014/03/barbie-girls-careers.html

http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2014/03/girls-fewer-career-options-barbies