Correlations Between Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Review of Two Recent Studies on Correlations between Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation.

1. Drummond, K. D., Bradley, S. J., Peterson-Badali, M., & Zucker, K. J. (2008). A follow-up study of girls with gender identity disorder. Developmental Psychology. 44(1), 34-45.

A panel of experts infamous for treating gender identity disorder (GID) have recently released data of their longitudinal follow-up with 25 girls who had been diagnosed as gender identity disorder (GID). Standardized assessment data in childhood (mean age, 8.88 years; range, 3-12 years) and at follow-up (mean age, 23.24 years; range, 15-36 years) were used to evaluate gender identity and sexual orientation. At the assessment in childhood, 60% of the girls met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for GID, and 40% were subthreshold for the diagnosis. At follow-up, 3 participants (12%) were judged to have GID or gender dysphoria. Regarding sexual orientation, 8 participants (32%) were classified as bisexual/ homosexual in fantasy, and 6 (24%) were classified as bisexual/homosexual in behavior. The remaining participants were classified as either heterosexual or asexual. The rates of GID persistence and bisexual/homosexual sexual orientation were substantially higher than base rates in the general female population derived from epidemiological or survey studies. There was some evidence of a "dosage" effect, with girls who were more cross-sex typed in their childhood behavior more likely to be gender dysphoric at follow-up and more likely to have been classified as bisexual/homosexual in behavior (but not in fantasy).

2. Rieger, G., Linsenmeier, J. A. W., Gygax, L., & Bailey, J. M. (2008). Sexual orientation and childhood gender nonconformity: Evidence from home videos. Developmental Psychology. 44(1), 46-58.

This interesting study asserted that homosexual adults tend to be more gender nonconforming than heterosexual adults in some of their behaviors, feelings, and interests. Retrospective studies have also shown large differences in childhood gender nonconformity, but these studies have been criticized for possible memory biases. The authors studied an indicator of childhood gender nonconformity not subject to such biases: childhood home videos. They recruited homosesual and heterosexual men and women (targets) with videos from their childhood and subsequently asked heterosexual and homosexual raters to judge the gender nonconformity of the targets from both the childhood videos and adult videos made for the study. Prehomosexual children were judged more gender nonconforming, on average, than preheterosexual children, and this pattern obtained for both men and women. This difference emerged early, carried into adulthood, and was consistent with self-report. In addition, targets who were more gender nonconforming tended to recall more childhood rejection.

See also: “Gender Identity Disorders In Childhood And Adolescence: A Critical Inquiry And Review Of The Kenneth Zucker Research” http://www.narth.com/docs/GIDReviewKenZucker.pdf

Father’ Involvement and Children’s Developmental Outcomes

Review of study:

Sarkadi, A., Kristiansson, R., Oberklaid, F., & Bremberg, S. (2008). Father’ involvement and children’s developmental outcomes: A systemic review of longitudinal studies. Acta Paediatrica, 97, 153-158.

The authors conducted a systematic review looking at longitudinal evidence on the effects of father involvement on children’s developmental outcomes. Databases were searched for studies that measured the involvement of fathers over time. Out of 22 of the 24 studies found, positive effects of father involvement were described. In conclusion, it was determined that active and regular engagement of the father with the child predicted a range of positive outcomes. That proved true in terms of social, behavioral, psychological, and cognitive development. Interestingly, no specific form of engagement was shown to yield a better outcome over another. This said that it didn’t matter specifically, what the father did with the child, rather the fact that he was engaged paid huge dividends in the child’s development. The authors concluded that father engagement reduced the frequency of behavioral problems in boys and psychological problems in young girls. It also decreased criminality and economic disadvantages. Rightly so, the authors made claim that there was enough support in the literature to urge both professionals and policy makers to improve circumstances for involving fathering.