A sample of 23 female and 23 male early adolescents, 11 through 12 years of age, was assessed on the Ethic of Care Interview (ECI), a new care-based morality measure. In addition, content analyses of the children's real-life moral dilemmas were conducted. As expected, girls scored significantly higher on the ECI than boys, and more girls than boys scored at ECI Level 2 (conventions of goodness, caring for others). The hypothesis that more girls than boys would generate "personal" real-life dilemmas and that more boys than girls would generate "impersonal" ones was also confirmed. Analysis of the central issues in the real-life dilemmas indicated that girls tended to be concerned about hurting others and maintaining friendships, whereas boys tended to be concerned about leisure activities, such as sports, and avoiding trouble. Possible explanations for these gender differences as well as directions for future research are discussed.
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