Mini marvels: superhero engagement across early childhood

Superhero engagement is common in early childhood, particularly among boys, and tends to be related to negative outcomes, such as aggression. However, most research lumps all types of superhero engagement together and is conducted over a relatively short space of time. The current study is a five-ye...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in psychology Vol. 16; p. 1537115
Main Authors: Coyne, Sarah M., Ashby, Sarah, Munk, Rachel J., Holmgren, Hailey G., Shawcroft, Jane, Densley, Rebecca, Austin, Tanya, Banks, Kennedy, Van Alfen, Megan
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 2025
Subjects:
aggression
children
defending
media
prosocial behavior
superhero
defending
prosocial behavior
aggression
media
children
superhero
ISSN:1664-1078, 1664-1078
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Superhero engagement is common in early childhood, particularly among boys, and tends to be related to negative outcomes, such as aggression. However, most research lumps all types of superhero engagement together and is conducted over a relatively short space of time. The current study is a five-year longitudinal study of four different types of superhero engagement (identification, toys, dress up, and media). Participants included 430 children ( age = 29.17 months at Wave 1) and their primary caregivers who were asked questions about superhero engagement and social behavior once a year for 5 years. Overall, superhero engagement was relatively high in early childhood and showed distinct trajectories depending on the type of engagement, with the most rapid growth occurring in superhero media. Boys and those who viewed high levels of television were more likely to have higher levels of superhero engagement. Additionally, early high identification with superheroes and playing with superhero toys and moderate but increasing superhero media predicted higher levels of aggression and aggressive defending over time. Dressing up as superheroes was related to very few outcomes during early childhood. Overall, this study has implications for parents, educators, and creators of superhero media and merchandise.
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ISSN:1664-1078
1664-1078
DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1537115