The Effect of Community and Individual Differences on College Students' Attitudes and Behaviors towards Transgender Individuals

<p>For transgender adolescents in an environment consisting largely of non-transgender (cisgender) individuals, whether adults and their peers in school are rejecting or accepting of their gender identity can have a large impact on their immediate and future outcomes. As college students will go on to form the social environment for the next generation of transgender adolescents, it is important to assess their beliefs and behaviors regarding this population. The present study sought to investigate the impact of individual and community factors on cisgender college students’ attitudes and behaviors towards transgender individuals. Using a sample of 302 cisgender college students from across the United States, multiple and negative binomial regression models were used to analyze how individual and community factors are associated with attitudes and behaviors towards transgender individuals. Overall, different individual and community factors were found to be related to attitudes and behaviors. Gender role beliefs, political beliefs, experience with LGBT individuals, and attending a suburban high school predicted attitudes towards transgender individuals. Reported behaviors towards transgender people were associated with gender role beliefs, religiosity, attending a rural high school, attending a Southern high school, and not having a gay-straight alliance (GSA) in high school. Attitudes were positively associated with reported behaviors towards transgender individuals. These findings and conclusions suggested areas for future research. Educational implications were addressed.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Psychology

Grantor

The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Hackimer, Laura

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Yung-Chi Chen, Ph.D.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Yung-Chi Chen, Ph.D.
• Marian C. Fish, Ph.D.
• Jay Verkuilen, Ph.D.

• School Psychology
• trans
• transgender
• attitudes
• behaviors
• region
• gay-straight alliances

Repository record dc:identifier

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/684

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:academicworks.cuny.edu:gc_etds-1685