Validation of a Revised Gender-Neutral Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adults and Adolescents (GIGDQ-AA-GN)

Abstract Book of the 7th International Conference on Gender Studies and Sexuality

Year: 2026

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Validation of a Revised Gender-Neutral Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adults and Adolescents (GIGDQ-AA-GN)

Jay Balaam, Clare Melvin, Joni Holmes

ABSTRACT:

Psychological measures of gender diversity and gender-related distress are essential to advancing research that informs inclusive policy and practice. It is therefore important that such measures accurately reflect contemporary understandings of gender and evolve to represent lived experiences. The present research adapts the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adults and Adolescents (GIGDQ-AA) to improve its inclusivity and modernise terminology. Revisions focused on replacing binary, gendered terminology to include gender-neutral terms anchored to gender assigned at birth, alongside updating outdated phrasing. Two studies were conducted using online, opportunistic, community-based samples: a pilot study (N = 106) and a full-scale validation study (N = 467), which included a higher proportion of participants self-identifying as gender diverse (41.11%) compared to the pilot (12.73%). Across both studies, participants self-identifying as transgender scored significantly lower than those who did not self-identify as transgender, indicating greater endorsement of gender dysphoria traits. Importantly, in the validation study participants self-identifying as non-binary also scored lower than those who did not. The revised measure demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity across both studies. A principal-axis factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution aligned with ‘Gender Dysphoria’ and ‘Exploring Gender Identity’. This differs from the original single-factor model but provides greater conceptual clarity in capturing distinct aspects of gender experience. Exploratory analyses suggest the revised measure may quantitively capture participants at different stages of social, medical and legal gender transition. Overall, this work presents a gender-neutral adaption of the GIGDQ-AA with strong psychometric properties. By incorporating a non-binary sub-sample and recruiting transdiagnostic, self-identified participants, these studies extend previous validation work. While further conceptual and qualitative refinement is needed, these findings represent an important step towards developing an assessment tool that more accurately reflects the diversity and complexity of contemporary gender experiences.

Keywords: Transgender; Non-Binary; Gender Diversity; Questionnaire; Self-Report