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The COGIATI "gender test"COGIATI is an acronym for Combined Gender Identity And Transsexuality Inventory, named to sound like a standardized psychology test (even though it is not).First off, I like and respect Jennifer, who created the COGIATI. I think her site is great. However, I disagree in the strongest and most respectful terms with her on the usefulness and validity of her COGIATI test. Because it is based in part on Brain Sex, the COGIATI is as troubling as the book that influenced its creation. Description: The COGIATI was written by Jennifer Diane Reitz. It is composed of questions purportedly based on neurological or social sex differentiation and scored thus:
Some questions are reworkings of Bem and Moir-Jessel questions. As Jennifer writes:
While this is a noble cause, I believe the danger of this amateur attempt is the fundamentally sexist premise on which it is based. Jennifer's rationale for using stereotypes [emphasis mine]:
First, I think "mistakes" is a very loaded term and a value judgment about the diversity of humanity. Second, stereotypes and scientific precision do not mix well. Stereotypes fail when you try to apply them to individuals, which is why the COGIATI fails when applied to individuals. As Anne Lawrence notes: "According to Ms. Reitz, typical male-to-female transsexuals are hopeless at math and science, love to sit close to strangers and be hugged by them, can't park cars, can't tell directions, get lost easily, suffer from migraines, are not assertive, and (of course) do not eroticize their own femininity." People will see what they want to see. Those who swear to the test's accuracy are the ones who got the result they wanted. Anne Lawrence states: "I think that both the COGIATI and the Moir-Jessel tests are little more than pseudo-scientific nonsense, and that anyone trying to figure out his or her gender identity issues would be well advised to ignore both." I agree with this assessment. Because this test takes Brain Sex to be a valid scientific platform upon which to base its premise, it is as flawed at its core as the Brain Sex book is. For a little comic relief, I recommend taking the DIANATI, a very funny spoof on the COGIATI. Next: The Bem Sex Role Inventory
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