Development and Preliminary Validation of the Gender Identity Dimensions Clinical Tool among Hispanic Individuals

Authors

  • Caleb Esteban Queer Biopsychosocial Health Laboratory, Clinical Psychology Department, School of Behavioral and Brain Sci-ences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico. Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0960-6311
  • Alejandro Montalván-López Queer Biopsychosocial Health Laboratory, Clinical Psychology Department, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1886-9797
  • Verónica López-Rodríguez Queer Biopsychosocial Health Laboratory, Clinical Psychology Department, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3493-8393
  • Michelle Carrillo-Tafur Queer Biopsychosocial Health Laboratory, Clinical Psychology Department, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
  • Juan Aníbal González-Rivera Clinical Psychology Department, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0622-8308
  • Alíxida Ramos-Pibernus Health Equity Research Lab, Clinical Psychology Department, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2457-555X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37226/rcp.v9i1.14095

Keywords:

Gender Identity, Instrument Development, Instrument Validation, Clinical Tool, Mental Health

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) develop a clinical instrument that explores the dimensions of gender identity, 2) validate the instrument, and 3) determine if the responses were answered by social desirability. This study used a non-experimental mixed methods, instrumental and cross-sectional design. The first phase of this study was the development of the instrument. After a literature review, three dimensions were established: 1) gender roles, 2) personal gender expressions, and 3) socially perceived gender expressions. The second phase consisted of a content validation process by eight expert judges and content validity. Lastly, the third phase consisted of recruiting a sample for the tool reliability documentation. A total of 321 people completed the survey. Internal consistency analysis showed that the tool dimensions has an acceptable internal consistency. Results showed variability regarding gender identity and adequate discrimination indices. Finally, the reliability of all the dimensions and time elements of the instrument showed satisfactory values. Results shows that all dimensions seem not to have been responded by social desirability. This study provided preliminary evidence that the Spanish version of the Gender Identity Dimensions Clinical Tool is a valid and reliable instrument to use with Hispanic individuals in a clinical setting.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., text rev).

American Psychological Association. (2012). Guidelines for psycho-logical practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. American Psychologist, 67(1), 10–42. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024659

American Psychological Association, Boys and Men Guidelines Group. (2018). APA guidelines for psychological practice with boys and men. http://www.apa.org/about/policy/psychological-practice-boys-men-guidelines.pdf

American Psychological Association, Girls and Women Guidelines Group. (2018). APA guidelines for psychological practice with girls and women. http://www.apa.org/about/policy/psychological-practice-girls-women.pdf

APPR Comité de Asuntos de la Comunidad LGBT. (2014). Estándares para el trabajo e intervención en comunidades de les-bianas, gays, bisexuales e identidades trans. Asociación de Psi-cología de Puerto Rico.

Bailey, J. M., Finkel, E., Blackwelder, K., & Bailey, T. (1995). Adult-hood Continuous Gender Identity Scales. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t30163-000

Bethea, M. S., & McCollum, E. E. (2013). The disclosure experi-ences of male-to-female transgender individuals: A Systems Theory perspective. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 12, 89–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332691.2013.779094

Boateng, G. O., Neilands, T. B., Frongillo, E. A., Melgar-Quiñonez, H. R., & Young, S. L. (2018). Best practices for developing and validating scales for health, social, and behavioral research: A primer. Frontiers in Public Health, 6, 149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00149

Bockting, W. O., Miner, M. H., Swinburne Romine, R. E., Dolezal, C., Robinson, B., Rosser, B.R. S., & Coleman, E. (2020). The Transgender Identity Survey: A measure of internalizedtran-sphobia. LGBT Health, 7(1), 15-27. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2018.0265

Cohen-Kettenis, P. T., & van Goozen, S. H. (1997). Sex reassign-ment of adolescent transsexuals: a follow-up study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(2), 263–271. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199702000-00017

Corey, G. (2017). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (10th ed.). Cengage.

Deogracias, J. J., Johnson, L. L., Meyer-Bahlburg, H. F., Kessler, S. J., Schober, J. M., & Zucker, K. J. (2007). The Gender Identi-ty/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for adolescents and adults. Journal of Sex Research, 44(4), 370–379. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490701586730

Eiseman, P. (2017). Validation of the Multilayered Gender Identity Questionnaires. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Missouri-St. Louis]. UMSL’s Institutional Repository Library. https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/760

Esteban, C. (2018). Renovando la perspectiva de género: Propo-niendo una perspectiva génerosexual [Renewing the gender perspective: Proposing a gender-sexual perspective] (Special section). Behavioral Science Journal, 33(1), 1-18.

Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (4th ed.). Sage.

Hernández-del-Valle, S. M., Alicea-Cruz, A. J., Rodríguez-Gómez, J. R., & Pérez- Pedrogo, C. (2022). Examinando las Propiedad-es Psicométricas del Cuestionario de Identidad Transgénero en Residentes de Puerto Rico: Un Análisis Preliminar [Exam-ining the Psychometric Properties of the Transgender Identi-ty Questionnaire in Residents of Puerto Rico: A Preliminary Analysis]. Behavioral Sciences Journal, 37(1), 79-97.

Ho, F., & Mussap, A. J. (2019). The Gender Identity Scale: Adapt-ing the gender unicorn to measure gender identity. Psycholo-gy of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 6(2), 217–231. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000322

International Commission of Jurists. (2017). The Yogyakarta Princi-ples plus 10. https://yogyakartaprinciples.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A5_yogyakartaWEB-2.pdf

Klein, F., Sepekoff, B., & Wolf, T. J. (1985). Sexual orientation: A Multi-Variable Dynamic Process. Journal of Homosexuality, 11(1/2), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.1300/J082v11n01_04

Kline, P. (2000). The Handbook of psychometric testing. Routledge.

Kozee, H. B., Tylka, T. L., & Bauerband, L. A. (2012). Measuring transgender individuals’ comfort with gender identity and appearance: Development and Validation of the Transgender Congruence Scale. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 36(2), 179–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684312442161

Lefevor, G. T., Boyd-Rogers, C. C., Sprague, B. M., & Janis, R. A. (2019). Health disparities between genderqueer, transgender, and cisgender individuals: An extension of minority stress theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(4), 385–395. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000339

Lemma, A. (2016). Present without past: The disruption of tem-poral integration in a case of transsexuality. Psychoanalytic In-quiry, 36(5), 360-370. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690.2016.1180908

McGuire, J. K., Berg, D., Catalpa, J. M., Morrow, Q. J., Fish, J. N., Nic Rider, G., Steensma, T., Cohen-Kettenis, P. T., & Spencer, K. (2020). Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale - Gender Spec-trum (UGDS-GS): Construct validity among transgender, nonbinary, and LGBQ samples. International Journal of Transgender Health, 21(2), 194–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2020.1723460

McGuire, J. K., Beek, T. F., Catalpa, J. M., & Steensma, T. D. (2018). The genderqueer identity (GQI) scale: Measurement and validation of four distinct subscales with trans and LGBQ clinical and community samples in two countries. Internation-al Journal of Transgenderism, 20(2-3), 289–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2018.1460735

Mizock, L., & Lundquist, C. (2016). Missteps in psychotherapy with transgender clients: Promoting gender sensitivity in counseling and psychological practice. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 3(2), 148–155. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000177

Richards, C., Bouman, W. P., Seal, L., Barker, M. J., Nieder, T. O., & T'Sjoen, G. (2016). Non-binary or genderqueer genders. In-ternational Review of Psychiatry, 28(1), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2015.1106446

Rider, G. N., Vencill, J. A., Berg D. R., Becker-Warner, R., Cande-lario-Pérez, L., & Spencer, K. G. (2019). The gender affirma-tive lifespan approach (GALA): A framework for competent clinical care with nonbinary clients. International Journal of Transgenderism, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2018.1485069

Rosario-Hernández, E., & Rovira-Millán, L. V. (2002). Desarrollo y validación de una escala para medir las actitudes hacia el re-tiro [Development and validation of a scale to measure acti-tudes toward the retirement]. Puerto Rican Journal of Psycholo-gy, 13, 45-59.

Rosenfield, S., & Mouzon, D. (2013). Gender and mental health. In C. S. Aneshensel, J. C. Phelan, & A. Bierman (Eds.), Hand-book of the sociology of mental health (pp. 277–296). Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4276-5_14

Seelbach, G. A. (2013). Teorías de la personalidad (1st ed.). Red Tercer Milenio.

Twist, J., & de Graaf, N. M. (2019). Gender diversity and non-binary presentations in young people attending the United Kingdom's National Gender Identity Development Service. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 24(2), 277–290. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104518804311

Valentine, S. E., & Shipherd, J. C. (2018). A systematic review of social stress and mental health among transgender and gen-der non-conforming people in the United States. Clinical Psy-chology Review, 66, 24–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2018.03.003

Wang, M., Zhang, L. J. & Hamilton, R. (2023) Developing the Metacognitive Awareness of Grit Scale for a better under-standing of learners of English as a foreign language. Frontiers in Psychology, 14,1141214. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1141214

Wilson, F. R., Pan, W., & Schumsky, D. A. (2012). Re-calculation of the critical values for Lawshe’s content validity ratio. Meas-urement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 45(3), 197-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748175612440286

Downloads

Published

2025-10-17

How to Cite

Esteban, C., Montalván-López, A., López-Rodríguez, V., Carrillo-Tafur, M., González-Rivera, J. A., & Ramos-Pibernus, A. (2025). Development and Preliminary Validation of the Gender Identity Dimensions Clinical Tool among Hispanic Individuals . Revista Caribeña De Psicología, 9(1), e14095. https://doi.org/10.37226/rcp.v9i1.14095

Issue

Vol. 9 (2025): Enero - Diciembre. Publicación continua

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Caleb Esteban, Alejandro Montalván-López, Verónica López-Rodríguez, Michelle Carrillo-Tafur, Juan Aníbal González-Rivera, Alíxida Ramos-Pibernus

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 3 > >>