Differentiating Identities for Sex and Gender
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Sex and gender are two concepts which researchers, for many years, have understood to be different. However, these two concepts are often thought of as existing within a single identity. Some researchers have hypothesized that individuals possess distinct identities for each of these concepts. With this study we seek to take first steps in understanding whether individuals differentiate sex and gender conceptually. Using a free card sort, participants sorted a list of terms considered to be defining of sex and gender into distinct categories that the participants themselves created and labeled. Using multiple approaches the data from this study were examined to determine whether individuals make a distinction between variables relating to sex and variables relating to gender. Results indicated that a significant portion of individuals did utilize a sorting method which differentiated the terms relating to sex and gender as separate constructs. In conclusion it was found that nearly half of the sample conceptualized sex and gender as different constructs.