Using a Continuous Measure of Child Gender Identity to Explore Mother–Child Agreement

ABSTRACT Children's gender identity is typically assessed using binary, categorical measures, limiting the ability to capture individual differences or diversity. The Gender Spectrum Task offers a continuous, developmentally appropriate single‐item measure for assessing children's gender identity from 3years of age. This study extends its use to a dyadic format by examining mother‐child alignment on the measure. Australian mother‐child dyads ( N = 107; children aged 3‐ to 6‐years‐old) each completed the Gender Spectrum Task. Children used the full range of the measure, with meaningful variation observed across assumed gender categories. Mothers’ ratings showed strong alignment with children's self‐reports, although discrepancies were greater when children's self‐reported identities were less closely aligned with the binary ends of the measure. Further, when children's identities were less closely aligned with the binary ends, mothers with stronger gender essentialist beliefs perceived their child's identity as more binary‐aligned. Findings suggest the measure is suitable for young children and offers promise for assessing shared understandings of gender identity within families. This work supports the broader application of inclusive, child‐centred measurement tools in developmental science.