Abstract
Objectives: Sex stereotypes adoption is presumed to impact one's perceived competence and value and to ultimately lead to dropout of certain activities. Adolescence is deemed to represent a period during which sex stereotypes are reinforced. The purpose of this study was to examine through a longitudinal design how sex stereotypes concerning athletic competence and value differ across adolescence. Design: A three-wave longitudinal follow-up within five cohorts of adolescents (N 718) was realized. Method: The participants completed a questionnaire assessing indirectly sport value and sport compe- tence sex stereotypes. Results: Multilevel growth curve analyses indicated that (i) boys report higher levels of stereotypes, (ii) the level of stereotypes endorsement increases with age, (iii) the rate of change of stereotypes endorsement decreases, and (iv) its increase is more pronounced among girls. Conclusions: The hypothesis of an increase of sex stereotypes attached to sport is confirmed among girls. Methodological shortcomings are underlined and research perspectives are advanced.