Effect of Gender Identity on Social Cognition towards

Transgender People

INTRODUCTION

In order to interact and adapt with the social environment, social cognition plays a very

important role. It helps us to consider relevant information, evaluate them and take correct

decisions. These may vary from how we respond in a particular situation to how do we treat

other people. The social cognitive functions determine what kind of relationship we maintain

with people and situations. The nature of these relationships is determined by the way we

assess information related to them. This is where the cognitive processes play role.

We can define social cognition as a field of study about the way we perceive, process, store

and apply information about other people and social situations. In other words, it studies the

cognitive process in social situation.

The society influences our perception, attitudes and all other social cognitive processes. The

question is; do we use these processes for everyone with equality? Does every person and

situation stand equal for us?

There is always a disparity between objective reality and perceived reality. This is again,

where our cognitive processes play role. Every individual is unique and the cognitive

processes determine the uniqueness. Perception of a single object can differ for different

people. Therefore, it is ultimately how we cognize a stimulus, be it an object or person or a

group of people, in the present environment which is also determined by existing knowledge

and past experiences and sometimes social prejudices.

Among various classes and subclasses of people existing in our society transgender people

form a special community that needs special attention as far as the societal status is

concerned. Their existence in our society is not unknown to anyone but still we tend to ignore

their presence. Transgender being treated as socially and economic backward classes has a

long history. There are enormous events of them being threatened, abused, disowned, killed,

deprived them from education etc. It seems as if the society has a great impact on their lives.

In a landmark decision taken by Supreme Court of India, on 15th April, 2014. Transgender

have been given the status of “third gender” and affirmed that the fundamental rights granted

under the Constitution of India will be equally applicable to them as well. The real issue to be

pondered upon is with the strength of law will they be able to attain a respectable status and

the acceptance of society.

 Review of Literature

Polat, Yuksel,Discigil and Meteris (2005) found that in Turkey, an individual with gender identity

disorder is stigmatized and isolated from society. They examined the acceptance of gender identity

differences by the families in 47 relatives of 39 transgendered individuals who applied to a ps

ychiatry clinic for sex reassignment. Half of the relatives who came to the interview were mothers. In

63.8% it was remarked that it was a shocking experience as one-third of them felt responsible for it.

While 65.9% tried to change the situation by coercion, only 27.7% adopted a supportive attitude.

The majority of families tried to conceal the situation from their immediate environment and one

third did not even inform their closest relatives. 40.4% of the families accepted the transgendered

identity and approved the sex reassignment surgery as a final step.

Aaron T. Norton, Gregory M. Herek (2012) conducted a study on U.S. adults and found that attitude

towards transgender people were more negative among heterosexual men than women. This study

partially supports the fact that psychological sources of attitudes towards transgender people differ

for men and women.

Rye, Elmslie and Chalmers (2007) assert that negative attitudes toward transsexuals may be

transformed into positive and empathic ones. They proposed that a basic formula to produce more

positive attitudes is a simple one: education plus exposure – that is to say, “real life” exposure.

Meeting a transgender person face-to-face, even in a classroom setting, can have a positive impact

on those who hold transphobic attitudes resulting from ignorance of transgender issues. Such an

experience may also have a strong effect on a student who was personally questioning his or her

gender and perhaps dealing with some of the same issues being discussed.

Dr. B Golden KIsha conducted a study on South Indian adults and adolescents to study their attitude

towards transgender people. His findings include significant difference between college students

and adults in their attitude towards transgender people. Adults showed more favourable attitude.
There was no significant religious difference between Christians and Muslims in theor attitude

towards transgender people.

Rationale of the study

Following are the rationale of the study:

 This study can bring out the real scenarios of attitudes of people towards transgender

people in the metropolitan cities, which we consider as the most developed among all

other states on India.

 Results of the present study can be used to take required steps to educate those people

who will show unfavourable attitude towards transgender people.

Objective of the study

Following are the objectives of the study:

 To focus on the issue of cognition and acceptance of transgender by the society.

 To find out the differences in attitude of males and females towards transgender

people.

 To see the effect of priming on the attitude of individuals towards transgender people.

Hypothesis

The following hypothesis are have been framed on the basis of the objectives of the study:

Hypothesis 1: There will be no significant gender difference in attitude towards transgender

people.

Hypothesis 2 :There will be no significant difference in attitude towards transgender people

between control group and experimental group

 Method

Sample: the study will be conducted upon 400 people (200 male, 200 female), age range 20 –

60 years. Convenient sampling would be used for sample selection from the metropolitan

cities of India

Tools:

1. E-priming Software

2. General Attitude Scale and Demographic Data sheet

3. Semi structured interview: themes of the interview will be decided based on pilot

study.

Experimental design: Present research is an experimental study in which the effect of

priming stimulus is to be studies upon the general attitude of the individuals. Independent

variables are gender and the information of actual objective of the study. Dependent variable

is attitude. The study follows 2X2 factorial design.

Control Group Experiment Group

Male 100 100

Female 100 100

Total 200 200

Procedure: Individuals will be approached personally. Keeping the main objectives of the

study in view, the control group and experimental group will be distinguished by giving

information of objectives of the study only to the Experimental group after taking signature

on consent form, the process of data collection will be started.

-Experiment: using E-priming Software, a priming stimulus will be presented for about 200

ms followed by 100ms interval before the target statement and its responses. Numbers of
target statements to be presented with one priming stimulus will be decided later based on

further studies.

-Interview: a semi-structured interview will be conducted to know subjective point of view in

detail. Themes for the interview will be decided based on pilot study.

Statistical analysis: Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods will be used

according to the formed hypothesis.

References

Augoustinos, M., Walker, I., Donaghus, N. (2006). Social Cognition: An Integrated

Introduction. SAGE.

Billard, T. J. (2018). Attitude Towards Transgender Men and Women: Development and

Validation of a New Measure. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00387

Kishna, B. G. (2015). A Study of Attitude of Society Towards Transgender in South India.

IJSR 2319-7064.

Norton, A. T. (2012). Heterosexual’s Attitude Towards Transgender eople: Findings From a

National Probability Sample of U.S. Adults. DOI 10.1007/s11199-011-0110-6.

.Singh, A. K. (2008). Tests, Measurements and Research Methods in Behavioral Sciences. B.

B. Printers.