A Dynamic Systems Framework for Gender/Sex Development: From Sensory Input in Infancy to Subjective Certainty in Toddlerhood

Conceptualizing transgender experiences in psychology: Do we have a 'true' gender?

Psychological research has acknowledged that the commonly accepted definitions of 'transgender', 'sex' and 'gender' within psychological research have resulted in limitations in accounting for the lived realities of transgender individuals. Such limitations include, but are not limited to, the continued pathologization of transgender experiences through idealizing sex and gender congruence and incapacity to account for non-normative and non-binary transition pathways. This paper provides a review of these limitations to first demonstrate how the incongruence definition of 'transgender' is reliant on the idea of a 'true' gender, and next suggest that problematising the idea of a 'true' gender allows new conceptions of transgender experiences to be advanced. To undertake this problematization, the work of Judith Butler and Sara Ahmed is used to consider how gender could be conceptualized otherwise in psychology and then applied to transgender experiences. In all, this paper theorizes transgender experiences without a reliance on the assertion of a true gender, to suggest instead a focus on contextualized transgender experiences. Last, the limitations and implications of this definition of transgender are briefly discussed. Overall, transgender experiences are conceptualized as those experiences that run counter to the dominant (re)production of binary sexed gender.

What do measures of gender identity tell us about gender identity over time?

Gender identity is a multifaceted concept and is represented by a wide range of measures and constructs including both self-report and researcher observations of preferences and behaviours. However, despite their similar theoretical underpinning, gender identity measures are rarely found to correlate with one another, and contrasting patterns and trajectories are often found for each construct (Egan & Perry, Developmental Psychology, 37, 2001, 451). Therefore, this systematic review aimed to present a review of the longitudinal research evidence surrounding gender identity development in the absence of formal intervention. Using a systematic search strategy, 21 studies were identified. Narrative synthesis was used to synthesize the data collected in these studies and trajectories were explored for (1) self-identification measures of gender identity, (2) clothing preferences, (3) peer preferences, and (4) object/activity preferences. Overall, the results of this systematic review are consistent with wider research suggesting that distinct developmental patterns can be observed when using different constructs and measures of gender identity.

Gender minority stress and diurnal cortisol profiles among transgender and gender diverse people in the United States

The field of behavioral neuroendocrinology has only begun to explore the lived experiences of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people exposed to stigma. In light of escalating attacks and legislation targeting TGD people in the United States, it is crucial to examine the physiological pathways through which gender minority stressors become embodied, impact health, and contribute to health inequities. The Trans Resilience and Health Study included baseline data collection from fall 2019 to spring 2020 from a sample of 124 TGD people, reflecting a diversity of gender identities (e.g., trans masculine, trans feminine, and nonbinary) and ages (range = 19-70 years old; M = 34.10), living in Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, and Tennessee. These analyses examine experiences of gender-related enacted stigma in association with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis functioning. Among those experiencing the highest levels of enacted stigma, findings show a blunted cortisol awakening response and sluggish daily decline that resulted in elevated concentrations at bedtime compared to those experiencing less enacted stigma. These results of flattened diurnal activity are consistent with an emergent literature on discrimination as a social determinant of potential stress pathophysiology. In contrast, community connectedness was associated with a larger, more dynamic cortisol awakening response. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating gender-minority stress and resilience measures when studying HPA-axis functioning among TGD people.

Remembering the null hypothesis when searching for brain sex differences

Human brain sex differences have fascinated scholars for centuries and become a key focus of neuroscientists since the dawn of MRI. We recently published a major review in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews showing that most male-female brain differences in humans are small and few have been reliably replicated. Although widely cited, this work was the target of a critical Commentary by DeCasien et al. (Biol Sex Differ 13:43, 2022). In this response, I update our findings and confirm the small effect sizes and pronounced scatter across recent large neuroimaging studies of human sex/gender difference. Based on the sum of data, neuroscientists would be well-advised to take the null hypothesis seriously: that men and women's brains are fundamentally similar, or "monomorphic". This perspective has important implications for how we study the genesis of behavioral and neuropsychiatric gender disparities.

After the trans brain: a critique of the neurobiological accounts of embodied trans* identities

This paper critically analyses three main neurobiological hypotheses on trans* identities: the neurobiological theory about the origin of gender dysphoria, the neurodevelopmental cortical hypothesis, and the alternative hypothesis of self-referential thinking and body perception. In this study I focus then the attention on three elements: the issue of (de)pathologisation, the idea of the trans brain, and the aetiology of trans* identities. While the neurobiological theory about the origin of gender dysphoria and the neurodevelopmental cortical hypothesis claim the existence of the trans brain, each offering its own neurobiological depiction, the hypothesis of self-referential thinking and body perception doesn't postulate a distinctive neurobiological trait for all trans* people. I problematize both portrayals of the trans brain departing from the findings and conceptualizations of the paradigm shifting brain mosaicism. Unlike the hypothesis of self-referential thinking and body perception that keeps the question of causation open, both the neurobiological theory about the origin of gender dysphoria and the neurodevelopmental cortical hypothesis situate the origin of trans* identities in the neurobiological domain. I challenge the biological deterministic framework in which this aetiology is inscribed from a dynamic processual entanglement perspective. Finally, concerning the issue of (de)pathologisation of trans* identities, an evolution can be seen in each of the hypothesis and among them, from the least to the most depathologising. However, I question their complete departure from a pathologising framework.

The salience of gender in the illness experiences and care preferences of people with Parkinson's disease

RATIONALE

In recent years, interest in sex characteristics and gender dimensions of Parkinson's disease (PD) has increased. Yet, much remains to be understood about how gender-related aspects specifically impact the illness and experiences of care in persons living with PD.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore the salience of gender-related aspects in the illness experiences and care provision preferences of people with PD.

METHODS

A descriptive qualitative study including semi-structured life story interviews was conducted with men and women living with PD in the Netherlands. Between September 2020 and February 2021, forty people with PD (20 men and 20 women) participated in digital interviews of which thirty-one (18 men and 13 women) were included in the thematic analyses for this specific study.

RESULTS

Overall, most participants did not consider gender-related aspects salient towards their illness experiences. However, when prompted, a number of participants described several stereotypical views about gender as related to the visibility of PD, emotional experiences, help seeking, role patterns and physical appearance. While most men and women with PD did not express specific gender-related preferences for their healthcare providers, those that did, all preferred women as healthcare providers. These preferences were generally related to attributed feminine traits which are considered relevant in routine, particularly sensitive, physical examinations of people with PD.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that although every person has a gender identity, the salience attributed to gender varies with illness experiences and in care provision preferences between people with PD. These findings highlight the need for precise and personalized methodologies to capture more nuanced insights into the impact of gender dimensions on PD. Furthermore, drivers behind gender-related preferences in care provision are multifactorial and warrant further investigation among people with PD.

Cross-Cultural Sex/Gender Differences in Produced Word Content Before the Age of 3 Years

Does sex/gender matter for language acquisition? Small advantages in vocabulary size for females are well documented. In this study, however, we found that children's early vocabulary composition was a significantly better predictor of sex/gender than their vocabulary size. We conducted classification analysis on word-production data from children (12-36 months old, n = 39,553) acquiring 26 different languages. Children's sex/gender was classified at above-chance levels in 22 of 26 languages. Classification accuracy was significantly higher than for models based on vocabulary size and increased as a function of sample size. Boys produced more words for vehicles and outdoor scenes, whereas girls produced more words for clothing and body parts. Classification accuracy also increased as a function of age and peaked at 30 months, reaching accuracy levels observed in studies of adult word use. These differences in vocabulary are indicative of differences in the lifeworld of children and may themselves cause further differences in development.

“I Think It’s Too Early to Know”: Gender Identity Labels and Gender Expression of Young Children With Nonbinary or Binary Transgender Parents

Little is known about gender expression among children with transgender parents. In the United States, we surveyed 64 nonbinary or binary transgender parents of children aged 18 to 71 months. Most parents reported a marginalized sexual identity and a White racial identity. Many declined to label their child’s gender identity, and this was particularly true among those with younger children. Scores indicated that, on average, children’s play was conventionally gendered. However, scores indicated significantly more gender-expansive play in the present sample than in normed samples, particularly among children assigned male at birth. Findings support transfamily theory (McGuire et al., 2016) and illustrate differences among families with nonbinary and binary transgender parents.

Reflections on Neurofeminism and Intersectionality Using Insights From Psychology

Intersectionality contends that sex/gender is constituted of and with other social categories, and that the social structures giving rise to inequality should be addressed in research. This is a powerful and important perspective from which to investigate the processes and consequences of social group memberships, one which has been overlooked by most neuroscientific research. In particular, neurofeminism, a field of critical neuroscience that challenges neuroscientific assumptions, methods and interpretations of data that reinforce sexism, has ignored intersectionality to date. In contrast, research in the field of psychology has been engaging with intersectionality for more than a decade. In reflecting on how intersectionality has advanced feminist research in psychology, this paper provides a critical analysis of potential novel research avenues for neurofeminism. We identify three main research themes guided by intersectionality. The first theme involves research centered on understanding the socio-structural causes of health inequalities experienced by individuals with intersecting marginalized social identities; the second concerns research addressing the psychological processing of social group memberships that underlies the enactment of systemic discriminatory practices; and the third theme comprises intersectionality research that aims to challenge psychological epistemology. Drawing parallels between the fields of psychology and neuroscience, we explore the potential benefits and risks of advancing an intersectionality-informed neurofeminism.