These 20 Psychologists Weigh In on Gender Identity

Dr. Audrey Nelson holds a Ph.D. in communication and specializes in conflict management, gender communication, and sexual harassment and discrimination. She is an internationally renowned trainer, speaker, author, and consultant for private companies and federal organizations. Dr. Nelson points to the importance of recognizing both gender and individual differences in communication. She notes how people will often swap gender terms in conversation, whether talking about themselves or others, and some married couples have even switched gender roles entirely, as they report. Although they don’t assign the same sense of gender fluidity to these verbal alterations, it is thought the stereotyping attached to the vocabulary makes it easier for people to understand one another. The problem, though, is that this forces people into a sort-of gender box that not everyone fits into easily.

"Gender is one aspect of who we are, and personality traits can certainly play a role in defining our communication style." Audrey Nelson Ph.D.