Just how affected are boys and girls when it comes to the stereotypical portrayals of sexual attitudes on television? According to a study by Laura Vandenbosch and Steven Eggermont of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium published in Sex Roles, a journal published by Springer, it depends on their relationship with their mothers.

Vandenbosch and Eggermont believe that girls who are close to their mothers are shielded from the stereotypes on television, while boys who likewise have a good relationship with their mothers are more susceptible to them.

Surveying 1,026 16-year-olds from nine schools in Belgium, the researchers carefully took notes on their attitude toward sex and gender roles, their relationships with their mothers, and the number of hours they watched the television, among other factors.

Results revealed that, in teenagers who watch television on an average of three hours a day and who have good relationships with their mothers, girls tend not to be affected by sexual stereotypes on television. Boys seemed more vulnerable—the stereotypical attitude portrayed on television almost seemed reinforced in them.

But before you think that boys shouldn’t be so close to their mothers, take note of a clause in the study. Regardless of gender, the study showed that teenagers who have good relationships with their mothers are still more protected from the sexual stereotypes shown on TV than teenagers who aren’t on good terms with their mothers.

(Screencap from Freaky Friday courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution)