Transsexualism, a controlled study, 1990
I. ter Haar
ISSN: 0033-2917
Volume 20, Issue 3 August 1990 Pages 613-620
Perceived parental rearing style, parental divorce and transsexualism:
a controlled study
Cohen-Kettenis, P T; Arrindell, W A
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Utrecht,
The Netherlands
Abstract
The parental representations of male-to-female and female-to-male
transsexuals were rated using the EMBU inventory. Scores on the
measure were compared
against ratings returned by controls of similar biological sex,
matched on age, educational level and number of female siblings in an
ANCOVA design.
In line with previous findings by Parker & Barr (1982), who studied
male-to-female transsexuals only, these patients were found not to
differ from the male controls in their scoring of their mothers, but
did score their fathers as less emotionally warm, more rejecting and
more protective.
Extending the findings by Parker & Barr (1982), female-to-male
transsexuals rated both parents as more rejecting and less emotionally
warm, but only their mothers as more protective than their female
control equivalents rated theirs. Parental divorce distinguished both
patient groups from controls, although further analyses revealed this
not to imply more parental absence in patients than in controls.
Male and female transsexuals differed from each other in some respects
(e.g. lower scores on parental emotional warmth and higher scores on
maternal rejection for the female patients), while being comparable in
other respects (e.g. parental divorce).
[Journal Article; In English; England]
Citation Subset Indicators: Index Medicus
MeSH Terms: Adult; Child; * Child Rearing; Divorce - * psychology
(PX); Female; * Gender Identity; Human; Male; Object Attachment; *
Parent-Child Relations;
Personality Development; Personality Tests; Psychometrics;
Transsexualism - * psychology (PX)
Psychological Medicine Volume 20, Issue 3 August 1990 Pages 613-620
Natasha Thompson
"In line with previous findings by Parker & Barr (1982), who
studied male-to-female transsexuals only, these patients
were found *not to differ from the male controls* in their
scoring of their *mothers*, (but yet) did score their fathers
as *less emotionally warm, more rejecting and *more
protective*." - [emphasis and (but yet) added]
Since it is the *interpreting* of the *subjective* impressions
*of those tested* which is the basis of this study. What does
it objectively reveal of Transsexualism?
It appears to me to be another case of "researchers finding
what they were looking for, to confirm their bias, which is
evidenced by the very nature of the inquiry. It really seems
more an aha I suspected as much, given the conclusion
at the beginning infers that "normal" boys of the control
group and TS MtoF males, view their mothers in the same
way so both groups are really boys after all.
MtoF TS scored their fathers as less warm, more rejecting
*and* more protecting, and FtoM TS rated both parents as
less warm, more rejecting, and only their mothers as more
protecting than their "normal" non TS controls. So what? Is
that as easily explained as an effect, than as a cause? Yes
it is, and we all know why. The reason is obvious.
The fact that both TS groups felt more protected by the
parent who shares their natal sex, can be easily explained
by the fact that parents identify more with and are more
invested in, the well being and safety of a child of their
same sex. This seems to indicate that they treated their
children as the sex perceived also, at least in this instance.
If interpretations of subjective impressions of the parents
of those tested is objective and reliable, it speaks to that
group *of those tested*, and may or may not say anything
at all about other Transsexuals anyway.
The fathers of MtoF TS were scored as *less emotionally
warm, **more rejecting**, and yet somehow *more protective*
and likewise for FtoM TS, except in their case likewise it is the
parent of the same sex who is more protective. I just can't
understand why either a father or a mother, would be more
protective of children they reject and are "less warm toward"
That seems unlikely to me, but I do not say that is impossible.
I just do not understand either how or why, so to me this just
seems absurdly contradictory in itself. This is also very very
different from my experience. I was neither protected by either
parent, and rejected by both, who were alike less than warm
to me or accepting. In fact I needed to be protected *from*
both abusive parents, and was not.
That the researchers appear to conclude that the impressions
of their mothers of both the non TS control group, and those
MtoF TS, did not differ, to me seems included to infer that MtoF
TS "boys" viewed their mothers in the same way that non TS
control group "boys" did, because they are "really" both boys.
This entire study seem rife with inferences which *speak
between the lines*, to those who share a bias in common with
those presenting this "evidence". Perhaps I am wrong, but I
wonder, is this sound science?
Of course their conclusions would have to be true, *if* the
researchers assume that a common thread of parental over
protectiveness and divorce is an essential feature of the
etiology of Transsexualism, and aren't they the common
threads here? Could it be that they were looking for such
"evidence", which at least seems to confirm those
assumptions?
"Parental divorce distinguished both patient groups from
controls, although further analyses revealed this not to
imply more parental absence in patients than in controls."
This seems to be the other common thread. There being no
shortage of non TS children of divorced parents, why did they
not include only controls with divorced parents. Since they did
not, how can they trust their other findings? A good question
since the researchers make something of the fact that TS test
group were children of divorced parents. Hmmmm.
So parental divorce *in this test group* is something that TS
(MtoF and FtoM) share in common. I have yet to see any
evidence that parental divorce is in any way a *cause* of
Transsexualism. In the previous findings by Parker & Barr
(1982) which this study is "In line with", parental divorce
*was* construed to be a cause if I recall correctly.
What other factors are involved which cause some children of
divorced parents to "become" TS, (the operating assumption
being that it is caused by parenting apparently) while the far
greater majority of children of divorced parents do not? The
parent of like sex being protective? Is *that* a feature peculiar
to parents of TS children? I think not.
So far the factors listed in this study appear to be merely
weak, and in part self contradictory, conjecture, the product
of rehashed presuppositions, not science. Of course this
may only be true of whomever composed the abstract and/or
presents it to us in the referenced journal. I have not read the
entire study.
Mediocre researchers approaching to study anything with an
inherent bias bolstered by mere assumptions, will surely find
whatever they are looking for. They will see what they want
to see, not what is.
Additionally the primary assumption, in fact the entire substrate
of this "study", appears to be that gender identity is a construct,
merely the result of early parental and cultural influences. Why
else why do they look for differences in parenting between TS
and non TS children? There is adequate scientific evidence to
at least call that assumption into question, e.g. the David Reimer
case and many others like it.
The TG/TS community has consistently been disserved, even
victimized, by bad science perpetrated by biased "researchers",
who share the same irrational prejudice of non scientists within
our culture. Which has in it's ignorance unfairly stigmatized
those who have this medical condition.
Convoluted, contradictory and clearly illogical conjecture so
routinely presented as "scientific" evidence re Transsexualism,
is the work of cavalier fools possessing petty and feeble minds,
not real scientists, who disserve both society and the very name
of science, in addition to all of us.
Natasha
I. ter Haar
A good review of this sciencetific article. I wonder if you can email
this review to prof(?) Cohen Kettenis in the Netherlands, Utrecht(?).
May be you can review this study amongst Dutch speaking female to male
transsexuals '89-'90?!
TRANSSEXUAL WOMEN.
SEVENTEEN DUTCH TRANSSEXUAL WOMEN AND THEIR STEREOTYPING IN COMPARISON
WITH 48 DUTCH PART-TIME PSYCHOLOGY UNDERGRADUATES DURING '89-'90.
It was assumed, in accordance with Lothstein's theory about the
ontology of female transsexualism that the parents of a transsexual
woman encourage the stereotype male characteristics and discourage the
stereotype female characteristics.
Consequently she would view herself as masculine rather than feminine.
Also it was intuitively felt, because a transsexual woman asserts that
she is a man, that she views 'the man' as an authority and conforms to
this authority.
The Groninger Androgyne Scale (GRAS), which is derived from the Bem
Sex Role Inventory and is adjusted to the Dutch situation, is used for
testing the first hypothesis.
The second hypothesis was tested with the Adorno Authoritarian (F)
scale and with the Marlowe & Crowne Social-Desirability Scale.
The results have not confirmed the first hypothesis, but a careful
suggestion may be that the perceived upbringing by these transsexual
women's parents do not differ much from the perceived upbringing by
the parents of the part-time female psychology undergraduates, with
respect to the stereotype feminine and masculine characteristics, as
measured by the GRAS-items.
Furthermore it seems, in the perception of these transsexual women,
that their parents have not differentiated their stereotype masculine
and feminine characteristics.
Thirdly there is some support for the second hypothesis, namely, a
transsexual woman would to a greater extent obey an authority and to a
greater degree endorse a prevailing opinion than the control-group of
female and male part-time psychology undergraduates.
Then it is asserted that the transsexual women in this study are more
stereotype-oriented than the control-group.