Dr Susan Nolan (Seton Hall University (USA); University of New South Wales (Australia))

Bio:

Susan Nolan is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Seton Hall University (USA). She is Past President of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. Susan is conducting a project on global psychology higher education at the University of New South Wales from January through May 2023 as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. She was also a Fulbright Scholar in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015-2016, and received the Fukuhara Award for Advanced International Research and Service from the International Council of Psychologists.

Sex, Gender Expression, and Gender Identity: Embracing Variability, Ending Discrimination, and Enhancing Psychological Well-Being

A recent Pew survey found that although about 90% of people in the U.S. report that they know someone who is gay, lesbian, or bisexual, only about 40% report knowing someone who is transgender. The percentage of people who report knowing someone who is intersex seems to be even lower. Although parallel data in other countries are scarce, the pattern is likely to be similar in other Western countries. As psychology instructors and researchers, we can expand our discussions of the variability among humans in terms of sex, gender expression, and gender identity in introductory and advanced psychology courses as well as in our research. This presentation will explore ways in which instructors might incorporate research, as well as stories of people from underrepresented groups, with the goal of reducing stigma and increasing understanding, awareness, and empathy. There is an urgent need for discussions of these and related topics due to the far-reaching psychological repercussions of prejudice and discrimination.