The article discusses the problem of inner mechanisms of strategies and tactics of claiming in late pre-school age. Gender analysis has been used to discover specifics of goal setting and motivation. The author describes variations of the correlation between different types of gender preferences in pre-schoolers and their claims and attitudes to the success/failure situation. Thus goal setting as well as strategies and tactics of claiming differ in children with androgynous, masculine, feminine and diffuse gender preferences. Analysis of empirical data suggests a link between gender preferences and motivation and goal-oriented behaviour.