Gender identity

Inside you is a feeling. It is how you know who you are. This feeling is called gender identity.

Most people feel like a boy or a girl. This feeling starts when you are very small. It can stay firm by age three or four.

Some people feel different from their bodies. They may feel like a boy even if they were born a girl. This can happen for many reasons.

Some people think this feeling comes from our bodies. Others think it comes from how we live. Scientists are still learning about it.

It is a special part of being you.

Gender identity is how a person feels inside. It is their own sense of being a boy, a girl, or something else. This feeling can match the sex a person was born with. It can also be different. People who feel different are often called transgender or non-binary.

Most children form this feeling very early. It often becomes firm by age three or four. Some experts say it can start even earlier. Scientists study how this happens. They look at nature and nurture. Nature means things like our genes and hormones. Nurture means how our families and culture teach us.

There is strong evidence that biology helps shape this feeling. Hormones in the body can affect how the brain grows. Some studies show that brain parts in transgender people look more like their true identity. For example, some parts may look more like a woman's brain or a man's brain. This helps us see that gender identity is a deep part of who we are.

Gender identity is a person's internal sense of their own gender. This feeling can match the sex a person was born with. It can also be different from their assigned sex. Some people use words like transgender, non-binary, or genderqueer to describe themselves. Most societies use a gender binary, which divides attributes into male or female. This includes expectations for masculinity and femininity. People may also express their gender through their appearance or behavior. However, how someone looks does not always show how they feel inside.

Scientists study how this sense of self forms in children. Most experts agree that core gender identity is firm by age three. Some say it develops very quickly in early childhood. It may become hard to change by age three or four. One theory says children go through three main stages of development. First, toddlers learn about social characteristics. Next, between ages five and seven, their identity becomes more rigid. Finally, after this peak, social roles may become more relaxed again.

Researchers have debated whether nature or nurture shapes this identity. Nature refers to biological factors like genes and hormones. Nurture refers to social factors like family and culture. In 1964, Robert J. Stoller coined the term gender identity. Psychologist John Money later helped make the term popular. Money once believed that children were a blank slate. He thought parents could decide a baby's gender through upbringing. This idea was later challenged by other scientists.

One famous case involved a boy named David Reimer. He was born in 1965 and lost his male genitalia as a baby. John Money advised his parents to raise him as a girl. Reimer grew up as a girl for many years. However, he later rejected this identity and returned to living as a male. This case showed that nurture might not override biology. Another study looked at fourteen genetic males raised as girls. Six of them later changed their identity to male. Most of those raised as females stayed female.

Today, we know that biology plays a big role. Hormones in the womb can affect how the brain grows. There is evidence that certain brain structures are linked to gender identity. For example, some parts of the brain in transgender people look more like their true identity. Studies show that certain brain volumes can be different based on these biological factors. These findings help us understand that gender identity is deeply rooted. It is a complex part of being human.

Gender identity is a person's internal, personal sense of their own gender. This identity may correspond to the sex a person was assigned at birth. However, it can also differ from that assigned sex. While many people have a gender identity that matches their biological sex, others do not. Some people identify as transgender, non-binary, or genderqueer. These terms describe people who do not identify with the gender associated with their biological sex. In many societies, a gender binary exists. This is a system that divides attributes into male and female categories. This binary includes expectations for masculinity and femininity in many areas of life.

Understanding the difference between identity and expression is very important. Gender expression refers to how a person shows their gender through behaviors, attitudes, and appearances. A person might act in ways that match a specific gender role. However, this expression does not always reflect their internal gender identity. Gender identity is about how a person feels inside. It is a distinct concept from how they present themselves to the world. Scientists and psychologists study these differences to better understand human development and social structures.

Researchers have studied when gender identity begins to form in children. Most experts agree that core gender identity is firmly established by age three. Some researchers suggest that children may show awareness of gender as early as 18 to 24 months. Others, like Lawrence Kohlberg, argued that it does not form until age three. One model by Martin and Ruble describes three specific developmental stages. First, toddlers and preschoolers learn about socialized characteristics. Second, between ages five and seven, identity becomes consolidated and rigid. Third, after this peak of rigidity, social roles may become more fluid again.

Another researcher, Barbara Newmann, proposed a four-part process for development. This includes understanding the concept of gender and learning gender role stereotypes. It also involves identifying with parents and forming a gender preference. The term "gender identity" was first coined by psychiatry professor Robert J. Stoller in 1964. Psychologist John Money later helped make the term popular. These early studies helped shape how modern science views the relationship between biology and social roles.

There is an ongoing debate in psychology known as "nature versus nurture." This debate asks if identity comes from biology or social environment. Social learning theory suggests children learn through observing and imitating others. They may be rewarded or punished for certain behaviors, which shapes their identity. On the other hand, biological theories focus on innate factors. There is increasing evidence that hormones in the womb affect brain organization. Genetic factors also play a role, as suggested by large-scale twin studies.

A famous historical case involves David Reimer, born in 1965. After a medical accident, Reimer lost his male genitalia as an infant. John Money believed that infants were a "blank slate." He argued that parents could decide a child's gender through upbringing. Based on this, Reimer was raised as a girl. However, Reimer eventually rejected this identity and returned to living as a male. This case challenged the idea that nurture could override nature. It showed that biological factors are very powerful in shaping identity.

Modern science provides more evidence for the biological basis of gender. Studies of brain structures show interesting patterns in transgender individuals. For example, some areas of the brain in trans women are more similar to those in cisgender women. Research has also looked at the volume of the BSTc. This is a part of the brain's basal ganglia affected by prenatal hormones. In some studies, the volume of this structure in trans women was similar to women's rather than men's. These findings suggest that gender identity has a durable biological element.