Dimensions of Transgender Individuals and Their Partner’s Sexual Identity Development Processes: Development of a Scale

This study documents the development of the Transgender Individuals and their Partner’s Identity Processes Scale (TPIPS). Research on how transgender individuals and their partners reexamine the labels they assign to their sexual identities in the context of a social transition is limited; indeed, many of the extant scales of sexual identity development focus upon sexual identity development in isolation or as an individualistic, linear process. Additional research is needed to honor the experiences of and to facilitate clinical exploration of sexual identity with this population. The present study develops a scale that can be used clinically with transgender individuals and their partners to more fully explore their experiences as they or their partner transitions as well as in the development of future research with this population. The need for this measure was developed from qualitative inquiries into the experiences of transgender individuals and their partners as well as from the social cognitive theory and sexual identity literature. The TPIPS was developed utilizing an intersectional framework. Drawing upon established qualitative literature as well as responses obtained in a focus group, the TPIPS was hypothesized to be comprised of four domains: Identity Deferral, Identity Revision, Identity Consolidation, and Social Processes. Item content and format was generated based on a literature review and feedback obtained via a focus group. The item pool was subjected to expert review and revised accordingly. The items were pilot-tested and revised in accordance with participant feedback. The items were then subjected to an additional expert review. The final forty-one items were tested in a sample of 195 transgender individuals and their partners. The data were analyzed via exploratory factor analysis, and the factor structure was confirmed in a confirmatory factor analysis. Four domains emerged from these analyses: Identity Deferral, Identity Revision, Partner Pressure, and Social Pressure. Implications for future clinical and research endeavors are discussed as are the limitations inherent to this study