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Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Trans Persons

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Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Trans Persons KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD TRANS PERSONS HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY By Rachel E. Kooy A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Humboldt State University In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts In Counseling Psychology December, 2010 KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD TRANS PERSONS HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY By Rachel E. Kooy Approved by the Master’s Thesis Committee: Emily Sommerman, Psy.D., Major Professor Date Christopher Aberson, Ph.D., Committee Member Date Gregg Gold, Ph.D., Committee Member Date Emily Sommerman, Psy.D., Graduate Coordinator Date Jená Burges, Dean for Research and Graduate Studies Date ABSTRACT Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Trans Persons Rachel Kooy Beginning in the late 1980s, after Transsexualism was added to the DSM-III, research on issues relating to trans persons (a term that encompasses people who identify as transgendered, transsexual, or as any other significant form of deviation from gender norms) is still relatively new. However, over the past few decades researchers have found that trans persons are at a higher risk for abuse and alienation from the public, including physical and verbal victimization, as well as sexual assault (Clements-Nolle, Marx, & Katz, 2006; Lombardi, 2001; Denny, Green, & Cole, 2007). The current study aimed to measure attitudes towards trans persons and discover possible safeguards against transphobia and discrimination. Using 126 Humboldt State University students, the current study examined attitudes toward trans persons using the Transphobia Scale and Attitudes Toward Transsexualism National Survey. (Landén & Innala, 2000; Nagoshi, Adams, Terrell, Hill, Brzuzy, & Nagoshi, 2008). Unlike previous research using the Transphobia Scale, participants in the study were significantly less transphobic, and men and women did not differ in their levels of transphobia. The current study also showed that having met a trans person, having had a relationship with a trans person, and having had previous contact with a wide variety of trans information sources in the media were associated with lower levels of transphobia. iii The Attitudes towards Transsexualism National Survey indicated that the majority of participants in the current study and the sample in a national survey in Sweden tended to agree on transsexual issues. Both groups favored giving transsexuals’ the right to change their bodies, names, and identities, the right to get married, and the right to work with children. The results of this survey indicate that trans research may generalize across western countries. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the members my committee for their expertise and insight— my thesis chair, Dr. Emily Sommerman, for all her invaluable support and guidance, Dr. Christopher Aberson for his statistical savvy, and Dr. Gregg Gold for his social psychology perspective. I would also like to thank Jessica Pettitt for her input and knowledge of trans issues, as well as for being an incredible resource. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Randy Cagle for believing in me and inspiring me to pursue a graduate degree, Dr. Jim Dupree for being a terrific role model and guiding me towards Humboldt State’s masters program, Dr. Melinda Myers for igniting my passion for psychology in her introduction to psychology course, Dr. Loren Cannon for opening my awareness and passion for trans issues in his weekend trans seminar class, and finally I would like to thank my friends and family for their love and patience. You have all changed my life for the better, thank you. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................ix INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1 Sex, Gender, and Sexual Identity.........................................................................2 Sex............................................................................................................2 Gender......................................................................................................3 Sexual Identity.........................................................................................5 Gender Identity Disorder.....................................................................................7 Risk Factors.........................................................................................................10 Transgenderism: A Global Perspective...............................................................12 Attitudes...................................................................................................13 Transphobia..............................................................................................14 Sex and Gender in Education ..............................................................................17 Contact Theory.....................................................................................................19 Goals of the Current Study..................................................................................21 Research questions and hypotheses.........................................................22 METHOD........................................................................................................................24 Participants...........................................................................................................24 Measures..............................................................................................................24 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Procedure.............................................................................................................25 Data Analysis...........................................................................................26 RESULTS........................................................................................................................28 Research Question A............................................................................................28 Hypothesis A........................................................................................................29 Hypothesis B........................................................................................................29 Hypothesis C........................................................................................................30 Hypothesis D........................................................................................................33 Research Question B............................................................................................35 DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................42 Transphobia Scale................................................................................................42 Findings....................................................................................................42 Applications.............................................................................................43 Limitations...............................................................................................44 Future research.........................................................................................44 Attitudes Towards Transsexualism National Survey...........................................45 Findings....................................................................................................45 Applications.............................................................................................47 Limitations...............................................................................................47 Future research.........................................................................................48 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) REFERENCES................................................................................................................49 APPENDIX A .................................................................................................................55 Gender Attitudes Questionnaire...........................................................................55 APPENDIX B .................................................................................................................59 Informed Consent.................................................................................................59 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Number of Trans Information Sources Reported Per Participant.............................31 2. Reported Types of Trans Information Sources Experienced....................................32 3. Reported Types of Relationships with Trans Persons...............................................34 4. Transsexualism National Survey: Responses to Questions 1, 2, 4−9, 11, and 12....36 5. Transsexualism National Survey: Responses to the Question, “Who Should Bear the Expenses for a Sex Change?”....................................................................................38 6. Transsexualism National Survey: Responses to the Question, “What Makes a Person Transsexual?”.............................................................................................................39
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