Prevalences and determinants of belief and lack of belief in gender identity in representative UK and US samples

Abstract The term “gender identity” is widely used. However, its meaning is often uncertain, ranging from a euphemism for sex to an “internal sense of gender,” or a combination of levels of masculinity/femininity and beliefs about one’s sex and presentation. Given differences and uncertainties in the definition of gender identity, this research assessed prevalences and determinants of belief and lack of belief in having a gender identity. Three samples from the UK ( N s = 302 and 300) and the US ( N = 301) (ages 18–87; mean age 45.74 (SD = 15.75), 431 males, 472 females), representative for national sex and age distributions, were recruited via the online platform Prolific. Participants were presented with 15 sets of questions. Each set included a factual biographic question (e.g., interest in sports), a question on presence or absence of an identity related to the biography question, and an importance rating of that identity if present. A response of ‘No’ to the question ‘Do you have a gender identity?’ was given by 23.6% and 21.1% of the UK samples, and 20.3% of the US sample. Gender identity was more likely to be affirmed by females (Odds Ratio = 1.79) and by those who hold strong critical social justice attitudes (OR = 1.67). Females gave higher ratings for the importance of their gender identity than did males (OR = 2.09). Future research should investigate the different understandings individuals have of the term gender identity and longitudinally assess societal changes in prevalence of belief or lack of belief in gender identity.