The Gender Self-Report: A multidimensional gender characterization tool for gender-diverse and cisgender youth and adults

Authors

John F. Strang, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Gregory L. Wallace, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Science, George Washington University.
Jacob J. Michaelson, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa.
Abigail L. Fischbach, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Taylor R. Thomas, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa.
Allison Jack, Department of Psychology, George Mason University.
Jerry Shen, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Diane Chen, Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
Andrew Freeman, Division of Child and Family Services, State of Nevada.
Megan Knauss, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Blythe A. Corbett, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Lauren Kenworthy, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Amy C. Tishelman, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College.
Laura Willing, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Goldie A. McQuaid, Department of Psychology, George Mason University.
Eric E. Nelson, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Russell B. Toomey, Department of Family Studies and Human Development, University of Arizona.
Jenifer K. McGuire, Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota.
Jessica N. Fish, Department of Family Science, University of Maryland, College Park.
Scott F. Leibowitz, THRIVE (Gender) Program, Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Leena Nahata, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Laura G. Anthony, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Graciela Slesaransky-Poe, School of Education, Arcadia University.
Lawrence D'Angelo, Youth Pride Clinic, Children's National Hospital.
Ann Clawson, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Amber D. Song, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Connor Grannis, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Eleonora Sadikova, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.
Kevin A. Pelphrey, Department of Neurology, University of Virginia.
Gendaar Consortium, Department of Neurology, University of Virginia.
Michael Mancilla, Youth Pride Clinic, Children's National Hospital.
Lucy S. McClellan, Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Hospital.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

10-1-2023

Journal

The American psychologist

Volume

78

Issue

7

DOI

10.1037/amp0001117

Abstract

Gender identity is a core component of human experience, critical to account for in broad health, development, psychosocial research, and clinical practice. Yet, the psychometric characterization of gender has been impeded due to challenges in modeling the myriad gender self-descriptors, statistical power limitations related to multigroup analyses, and equity-related concerns regarding the accessibility of complex gender terminology. Therefore, this initiative employed an iterative multi-community-driven process to develop the Gender Self-Report (GSR), a multidimensional gender characterization tool, accessible to youth and adults, nonautistic and autistic people, and gender-diverse and cisgender individuals. In Study 1, the GSR was administered to 1,654 individuals, sampled through seven diversified recruitments to be representative across age (10-77 years), gender and sexuality diversity (∼33% each gender diverse, cisgender sexual minority, cisgender heterosexual), and autism status (> 33% autistic). A random half-split subsample was subjected to exploratory factor analytics, followed by confirmatory analytics in the full sample. Two stable factors emerged: and (FMC). FMC was transformed to based on designated sex at birth to reduce collinearity with designated sex at birth. Differential item functioning by age and autism status was employed to reduce item-response bias. Factors were internally reliable. Study 2 demonstrated the construct, convergent, and ecological validity of GSR factors. Of the 30 hypothesized validation comparisons, 26 were confirmed. The GSR provides a community-developed gender advocacy tool with 30 self-report items that avoid complex gender-related "insider" language and characterize diverse populations across continuous multidimensional binary and nonbinary gender traits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

APA Citation

Strang, John F.; Wallace, Gregory L.; Michaelson, Jacob J.; Fischbach, Abigail L.; Thomas, Taylor R.; Jack, Allison; Shen, Jerry; Chen, Diane; Freeman, Andrew; Knauss, Megan; Corbett, Blythe A.; Kenworthy, Lauren; Tishelman, Amy C.; Willing, Laura; McQuaid, Goldie A.; Nelson, Eric E.; Toomey, Russell B.; McGuire, Jenifer K.; Fish, Jessica N.; Leibowitz, Scott F.; Nahata, Leena; Anthony, Laura G.; Slesaransky-Poe, Graciela; D'Angelo, Lawrence; Clawson, Ann; Song, Amber D.; Grannis, Connor; Sadikova, Eleonora; Pelphrey, Kevin A.; Gendaar Consortium; Mancilla, Michael; and McClellan, Lucy S., "The Gender Self-Report: A multidimensional gender characterization tool for gender-diverse and cisgender youth and adults" (2023). GW Authored Works. Paper 3708.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/3708

Department

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences