Catherine Schaefer, MS, Mary McAdaragh, MSW, Niko Blando, Arthi Jegraj, Nic Rider, PhD, LP, and Dianne Berg, PhD, LP, present: GenderFlex Preliminary Results- What 5-8 Year Olds Have to Say About Gender Measures

Commonly used measures of gender development are often not inclusive of a variety of gender identities.  However, those that are inclusive often use language that is inaccessible and hard for young children to understand.  In this study, we examine measures of gender identity in a population of children ages 5-8, using the words of the children themselves as guidance.  Additionally, we are interested in whether certain ways of thinking about gender confers flexibility in other cognitive domains, such as self-control and perspective-taking.  This presentation will highlight preliminary results of the Gender and Flexible Thinking study, and explore ways that strengths-based perspectives can be used in research with a gender diverse population of young children.

Presentation date: May 2, 2023