Defending the Sex/Gender Binary : The Role of Gender Identification and Need for Closure
(2021) In Social Psychological and Personality Science 12(5). p.731-740- Abstract
In the Western world, gender/sex is traditionally viewed as binary, with people falling into one of two categories: male or female. This view of gender/sex has started to change, triggering some resistance. This research investigates psychological mechanisms underlying that resistance. Study 1 (N = 489, UK) explored the role of individual gender identification in defense of, and attempts to reinforce, the gender/sex binary. Study 2 (N = 415, Sweden) further considered the role of individual differences in need for closure. Both gender identification and need for closure were associated with binary views of gender/sex, prejudice against nonbinary people, and opposition to the use of gender-neutral pronouns. Policies that aim to abolish... (More)
In the Western world, gender/sex is traditionally viewed as binary, with people falling into one of two categories: male or female. This view of gender/sex has started to change, triggering some resistance. This research investigates psychological mechanisms underlying that resistance. Study 1 (N = 489, UK) explored the role of individual gender identification in defense of, and attempts to reinforce, the gender/sex binary. Study 2 (N = 415, Sweden) further considered the role of individual differences in need for closure. Both gender identification and need for closure were associated with binary views of gender/sex, prejudice against nonbinary people, and opposition to the use of gender-neutral pronouns. Policies that aim to abolish gender/sex categories, but not policies that advocate for a third gender/sex category, were seen as particularly unfair among people high in gender identification. These findings are an important step in understanding the psychology of resistance to change around binary systems of gender/sex.
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- author
- Morgenroth, Thekla ; Sendén, M. Gustafsson ; Lindqvist, A. LU ; Renström, E. A. LU ; Ryan, M. K. and Morton, T. A.
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- gender binary, gender identification, gender/sex binary, need for closure, nonbinary
- in
- Social Psychological and Personality Science
- volume
- 12
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 731 - 740
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85087961343
- ISSN
- 1948-5506
- DOI
- 10.1177/1948550620937188
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4695f4a1-76ab-4a35-8a3f-38b4d049a43f
- date added to LUP
- 2020-07-30 13:20:42
- date last changed
- 2022-12-30 11:58:21
@article{4695f4a1-76ab-4a35-8a3f-38b4d049a43f, abstract = {{<p>In the Western world, gender/sex is traditionally viewed as binary, with people falling into one of two categories: male or female. This view of gender/sex has started to change, triggering some resistance. This research investigates psychological mechanisms underlying that resistance. Study 1 (N = 489, UK) explored the role of individual gender identification in defense of, and attempts to reinforce, the gender/sex binary. Study 2 (N = 415, Sweden) further considered the role of individual differences in need for closure. Both gender identification and need for closure were associated with binary views of gender/sex, prejudice against nonbinary people, and opposition to the use of gender-neutral pronouns. Policies that aim to abolish gender/sex categories, but not policies that advocate for a third gender/sex category, were seen as particularly unfair among people high in gender identification. These findings are an important step in understanding the psychology of resistance to change around binary systems of gender/sex.</p>}}, author = {{Morgenroth, Thekla and Sendén, M. Gustafsson and Lindqvist, A. and Renström, E. A. and Ryan, M. K. and Morton, T. A.}}, issn = {{1948-5506}}, keywords = {{gender binary; gender identification; gender/sex binary; need for closure; nonbinary}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{5}}, pages = {{731--740}}, publisher = {{SAGE Publications}}, series = {{Social Psychological and Personality Science}}, title = {{Defending the Sex/Gender Binary : The Role of Gender Identification and Need for Closure}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1948550620937188}}, doi = {{10.1177/1948550620937188}}, volume = {{12}}, year = {{2021}}, }