Assessing Gender in Young Children: Constructs and Considerations

• Published in: Psychology of sexual orientation and gender diversity 2020-09, Vol.7 (3), p.293-303
• Main Authors: Olezeski, Christy L, Pariseau, Emily M, Bamatter, Wendy P, Tishelman, Amy C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Childhood Development; Early Childhood Development; Ecological Factors; Family; Gender Identity; Gender Nonconforming; Human; Test Construction; Test Validity
• ISSN: 2329-0382; 2329-0390
• DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000381

The goals of the present article are to summarize the current state of assessment measures pertaining to the evaluation of gender in young children, identify gaps in knowledge, and propose priorities for research regarding gender identity development as concepts of gender evolve over time. We provide an overview of assessment tools that have been used to measure gender-related constructs in young children and highlight areas in which more nuanced concepts of gender have driven the creation of new approaches to assessment. We identify a number of overarching assessment limitations as well, with recommendations for research priorities: (a) developing and validating measures of gender identity in young children, (b) examining gender development in typical and gender diverse young children, (c) incorporating a nonbinary model of gender into assessment, (d) examining family and broader ecological variables as they impact gender development, and (e) studying factors that influence parental beliefs about their young child's gender. Public Significance Statement Assessments to measure gender identity in preschool youth are limited in scope, and do not take into consideration the multiple facets of gender identity, ecological variables that influence gender development and nonbinary and/or flexible identities. There is a need for increased measure development in this area.