Cross Dressing Studies

[Rikkicn]

Have any of you ever participated in a structured organized study of cross dressers? There are lots of polls on the web but aren't serious research.
I've heard that 10% of men cross dress. That number has apperaed on countless websites. I'd like to know about that study and read it but does it really exsist? Who and how was the study done.
We're a sizeable population and you would think that one of has been a particpant in some kinf od research.
Does anyone know where to find the latest "real" research on our lives?
There are so many questions and only guesses about who we really are and what motivates us.
Maybe we need a comprehensive poll set up on this site. Would that interest anyone?

thanks for any leads
Rikki

[Bev06 GG]

Hi Rikki,
I bet you anything that 10% is only the tip of the iceberg, if truth be known I bet there are lots of guys out there who've secretly indulged. After all, womens clothes are so much nicer than mens, even most men think so.
BEVxxxxx

[kittypw GG]

I would participate in a comprehensive poll.
Count me in. Kitty

[Julie Avery]

I've never participated in one.

So much of the outcome would depend on how crossdressing was defined.

I'd hazard a guess that there are some fairly vanilla males out there who've tried on a pair of pantyhose, and would be mighty red-faced to be asked about it.

The number of males who have ever shaved their legs would be somewhat smaller.

Etc :cheeky:

[Marla S]

I bet you anything that 10% is only the tip of the iceberg, if truth be known I bet there are lots of guys out there who've secretly indulged.

Well if this is true, it will be hard to find a "normal" man, considering all the other forms of "deviations".

Even 10 % CDers seems a lot to me. That is almost a higher percentage than I see women wearing skirts, usually :cheeky:

[Angel73 GG]

I think I heard somewhere that the percentage is supposedly around 5%.

[Caitlintgsd]

Hi Rikki,
I bet you anything that 10% is only the tip of the iceberg, if truth be known I bet there are lots of guys out there who've secretly indulged. After all, womens clothes are so much nicer than mens, even most men think so.
BEVxxxxx

It makes me wonder why men's clothes are so icky. Perhaps the average lumberjack just doesn't want to snag his taffeta on the ol' chain saw. I dunno.

[Eugenie]

Have any of you ever participated in a structured organized study of cross dressers? There are lots of polls on the web but aren't serious research.
I've heard that 10% of men cross dress. That number has apperaed on countless websites.

Rikki

In my former life I have organised several surveys as a professional market researcher. Your assessment of the "would be surveys on Crossdressers" on the net is absolutely correct: they are not serious at all.

The percentage numbers of X-dressers vary between a low 1/10,000 to the 10% that you quote.

The whole thing is terribly lacking methodology.

Just the element on which statistics are supposed to be made "Men who are Crossdressers" would need to be far more precise. If the statistics include very occasional fetishist X-dressers who do it primarily to achieve sexual satisfaction through to X-dressers who likes to spend as much time "en femme" as possible we may indeed have a large population. But if the definition of X-dresser is more restrictive, then the population is far smaller than 10%.

In the first case, any serious analysis should provide a breack down by sucategories.

The second problem is that most x-dressers remain closeted, and affraid to come out, even anonymously (Never sure anonimity will be fully respected)

I've been taking part in a survey recently and to my greatest surprise, when they published the results there wres less than 30 respondants. This didn't stop the researchers to provide elegant statistics...:mad:

Sorry to be ranting like that, but it is quite annoying to see such poor surveys regarding our situation. It would be very useful if we knew better who and how many we are.

Eugenis

[Julie Avery]

Well, it's hard to get useful survey data when 75 per cent of the respondents you're targeting are unwilling to be honest, no matter how clever a social scientist you might be.

[rhondasxycd]

i would be willing to bet that 50% of men have atleast tried a pair of silky panties on !! weather that counts i don't know !!

[maid phylis]

:luvu: :yrtw: dear kitty,i belong to crossdressers international here in new york city.we meet every wed night and it seems that more and more crossdressers are calling up and asking where we are and asking for help as they are first timers.so i believe that the 10%of men crossdressing may be a little low.there are a lot of girls out there that want to come out and our group tries to help them .and when they see our members they are amazed .we are a group that goes out and we do things ,like broadway shows and concerts ,so we are here to stay.love phylisanne:happy:

[Caitlintgsd]

i would be willing to bet that 50% of men have atleast tried a pair of silky panties on !! weather that counts i don't know !!

I think an analogy to that would be like dipping your toes in a lake and saying that you actually went swimming. Maybe if they consistently wore the undies. Just my $0.02 worth.

[SherriePall]

I have a feeling that the figure will never be truly accurate. Afterall, if you are in the closet, even to your wife, how can you be counted?

[JeanneF]

Well, it's hard to get useful survey data when 75 per cent of the respondents you're targeting are unwilling to be honest, no matter how clever a social scientist you might be.

Very true. It's kind of like the old joke that 50% of men masturbate in the shower, and the other 50% lie about it.

Like Eugenia said, a big part is how you define a "crossdresser". Is someone who's girlfriend gets him to wear her panties during foreplay qualify, or is it only guys who dress completely "en femme" (wigs, makeup, etc), whether or not they go out. Non-TS transgendered people are by nature a very closeted group as a whole, so it's probably very tough to gather accurate reliable data.

I wonder if the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has studied crossdressing in the general male population? I did a quick cursory search of their site, but didn't find anything mentioned. I'd be surprised if there hasn't been at least one scientific study on crossdressing attempted by them over the years.

[livy_m_b]

Since all polls are self-reporting, no one really knows. As others have said, it partly depends on what counts as xdressing. Occasionally putting on a pair of panties, etc. shouldn't qualify. If the question was phrased "Have you ever....", that wouldn't provide much useful information. If it were phrased in stages such as "Never", "Once a week", "3-5 x per week", etc., it would start to be interesting. If it were phrased as the above but expanded to include any period of greater than 3 mos., the number should go up. (Despite what we say about it never going away, for some people it really is just a phase.) In the final analysis, we can be pretty sure it's more than would say it even in an anonymous poll - don't underestimate the prevalence of paranoia. I've sometimes thought it would be interesting if at noon on a certain day, everyone who had ever cd'd stood out on their front porch - I think we'd see a lot of our neighbors there! :)))

[Marla S]

As most every "serious" CDer needs clothes, shoes, breast forms etc., maybe a good way would be to evaluate the markets for oversized shoes and breast forms. Taking some data of the average population into account that should at least give kind of a lower limit.

[Christina Nicole]

The 10% number came from Kinsey, I believe. But Kinsey studied mostly prisioners, institutionalized mental patients, and sexual deviants. He did no organized study of the general population. Why anyone still pays any attention to his original reseach is baffling.
Warm regards,
Christina Nicole

[Joy Carter]

I thought I read some where that one in ten men admitted to ER's had some for of womens clothing on a large number to be sure !

[Wombat]

Seeing no-one's answering the initial question, I will.:D

I was in a real study ... almost:o

Can't remember how it came about now, but I was contacted by a professor at one of the local universities and asked if I would be part of a research project for someone's PHD. Had a couple of phone discussions with him about it ... but nothing ever came of it. Dunno why. Probably as you've been suggesting, it sounds like a good idea but it's all too hard:rolleyes:

Wombat

now I'm wishing I could remember how it came about - the whole thing was legit and respectful.

[JeanneF]

The 10% number came from Kinsey, I believe. But Kinsey studied mostly prisioners, institutionalized mental patients, and sexual deviants. He did no organized study of the general population. Why anyone still pays any attention to his original reseach is baffling.
Warm regards,
Christina Nicole

That's why I'm interested to know if they've done any studies on it in recent years. I have quite a few friends who went to IU, and many of them participated in studies at the institute (generally to fill part of their Psychology requirements). It would be interesting to see even what percentage of "normal" male college students identify themselves as transgendered or crossdressers.

[christine55]

and making a joke of us I really wonder if there are lots of guys who have secretly entertained the fantasy of getting dressed up. I think we just act on what many men would like to do.
Hugs, Christine

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

There's currently a large-size, long-term of study transgender folks of various stripes, although its limited to the New York area.

Richard Docter's "Transvestites and Transsexuals" has a comprehensive round-up of the various research and surveys done as of 1988, when the book was written.

The results of those surveys are pretty consistent with the 1999 Yvonne's Place survey (http://www.yvonnesplace.net/survey/survey99/survey99_results.htm) of about 1,300 CDs.

The longest running, largest survey and most likely the most comprehensive survey ever done concerning crossdressing and
transgenderism is still running here (http://cdsecretgarden.femmegetaway.com/body_survey.htm) if you'd like to take it. (It takes 45-60 minutes to complete). The survey was created by Docter and was originally presented to the transgender Community for participation during the first "Texas T Party" back in 1985. Docter (who's now retired) passed it on in 2001 to the couple the run the "A Crossdressers' Secret Garden" group (http://cdsecretgarden.femmegetaway.com), who keep it running to this day.

Docter was one of the experts who estimated the prevalence of crossdressing at around 3-5% of American men, which I believe is his personal estimate. I'm not sure what definition of "crossdressing" he used, but based on his work I'm pretty sure it would be a broader rather than a narrower one.

But as has been said, it's inherently difficult to get reliable data about a closeted population. There was a 2003 study (http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=245&date=20040702) of the general population done in Sweden (Langstrom and Zucker) with about 2,500 respondents. Only 2.8% of men and 0.4% of women reported ever having been aroused by crossdressing, although again I don't know what definition was used and again, and there's the issue of how many people might not of admitted to crossdressing, despite the assurances of confidentiality. There's also some

FYI, according to the article, the researchers "found no significant differences between the lifestyles of transvestites and 'the average man.' They are just as likely to be married and to have children, and use drugs and alcohol no more or less than average. In fact, the only difference appeared to be that they like wearing women's clothes." Which is consistent with other studies.

[Stacy_CD]

I'm a complete mystery to myself... It seems silly that simple feminine garments (I mean, they're just clothes) could be so enticing. I'm very much a dude in my regular day to day life. I don't know why I can't turn away from crossdressing!

Still, it's good to know that I'm not alone. I doubt there'll ever be a simple reason why, but I might like to take part in such a study one day.

[Nlenro-nu2]

Hi Rikki,
I bet you anything that 10% is only the tip of the iceberg, if truth be known I bet there are lots of guys out there who've secretly indulged. After all, womens clothes are so much nicer than mens, even most men think so.
BEVxxxxx

Actually the truth is only 10% of men dare admit to crossdressing. According most Psychologist and Psychiatrists just as many men crossdress as women. Women can admit it a lot easier than men cause woman won't get as much guff as man does if man admits to crossdressing. According Psychologists and Psychiatrists.. 66% to 73%
do crossdress but it's only 37% or less that dare admit to crossdressing!
Crossdressing is usually caused because the brain says you're one sex
and the body is different than what the brain says. Psychologists say this is a brain imbalance and they prescribe things like: seroquel, Chloropromozene, Risperdol or other similar psychotics all these nulify the brain sex receptors. Making one feel like the walking dead.. It's not a good way to live! Society maybe happy but I sure wasn't when I did as the Psychologists wanted! I hate it when some ******* says He ain't a woman just because my body is of male appearance!
So called imbalance comes because when a person is born at birth the
body doesn't get the right signal in time or there's something blocking the
signal.. it could be cigarette smoking or some pills of some sort there's
a number of things that cause this. However I don't see why we should be punished or ridiculed just because we are born into the wrong body!
I'm Nlenro-nu oh by the way:you might be surprised what you can find out about crossdressing and why people do it at your local library if your city is of reasonable size.

[Nlenro-nu2]

You are correct only about 10% of men dare admit to crossdressing but according to psychologists abd psychiatrists just as many men crossdress as women. Women don't get as much guff as man does when admitting to crossdressing. Women can go freely around in mens slacks but if a man puts on a skirt and goes around people say all sorts of things that are unkind. I know I tried it! I'm Nlenro-nu see my reply to the previous post

[Lawren]

I was once asked if I would do an interview for a young lady who was writing a college thesis on crossdressing and it's affect on relationships. Sadly, I was not in a relationship at the time and the interview was never arranged. I certainly was willing to if it had been.

[Deanna2]

I find all this talk about various percentages of men who crossdress very entertaining. However, as I have asked in other threads of this nature, 'what are we talking about?

Is a CD a guy who occasionally wears panties or is it a guy who wears the whole kit and kaboodle (including bra, wig, heels and makeup)? Just because a guy wears panties one time, does that make him a permanent CD and qualify for classification as such?

[carol ann]

The whole subject would be worth a university investigation because so many men are involved for a whole variety of reasons: some of them with a deep phsycological basis. The dressing also takes place to a vast difference in degree. I doubt if such a study will happen because of the branding of dressing, as a member of the opposit sex ,as a 'fetish'.

Crossdressing is also a matter of 'mind fantasy' so could one be sure that should a study take place could reliable information be obtained

This forum, seems to me to have more honest sharing and opinion than anything I have come accross, but even here, there are correspondents and members who give the impression of just building stories that may be just short of fiction, but only just.

[Melanie R]

Have any of you ever participated in a structured organized study of cross dressers? There are lots of polls on the web but aren't serious research.
I've heard that 10% of men cross dress. That number has apperaed on countless websites. I'd like to know about that study and read it but does it really exsist? Who and how was the study done.
We're a sizeable population and you would think that one of has been a particpant in some kinf od research.
Does anyone know where to find the latest "real" research on our lives?
There are so many questions and only guesses about who we really are and what motivates us.
Maybe we need a comprehensive poll set up on this site. Would that interest anyone?

thanks for any leads

Rikki

Rikki,

Peggy's book, Crossdressing With Dignity, was based on a research study of crossdressers with results from 894 crossdressers from around the world. The results are the foundation for the book.

Melanie

[Nlenro-nu2]

Yes your right.. The ickey look of mens clothes are likely a hang over from the days when men were seen as the bread winners and women were expected to stay home. The idea was that no need to wear nice things if they were going to get a messed up doing menial labour. I don't know why the ugly look stretched to the office. Maybe it was to give message to men not to be too cheerily dressed. Some men like won't down anything bright coloured for fear of being called gay or queer. I in fact was that way for quite awhile! I wish I had known what I know now back that my life would of turned out completely different I'm sure! Psychologists and Psychiatrists estimate about 70-73% cross dress some time but only 37% or less dare admit it! So we that admit our croosdressing are in the minority admitting it but in the majority when it comes to crossdressing if the Psychologists and Psychiatrists estimates are correct! I never engaged in any studies of crossdressers but I have take a few lessons of Psychology 101 or was it Psychiatry 101.. just enough lessons to learn it
wasn't for me! I'm Nlenro-nu2

[kristine239]

If you would like to participate in a national study, now in it's final stages, e-mail mona Rae Mason at [email protected]. Tell her Kristine sent you.

Yes it is mostly NYC people because that is her home base. but you can help expand the study.

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

If you would like to participate in a national study, now in it's final stages, e-mail mona Rae Mason at [email protected]. Tell her Kristine sent you.

Yes it is mostly NYC people because that is her home base. but you can help expand the study.

How far from NYC are they willing to consider? http://www.ndri.org/transgender/ says they want people from "the greater New York Metropolitan area."

[jjjjohanne]

Once, while in Grad School, I ventured into the deep basement of our library where all of the research journals are. I was roaming around and I found a section on sexual topics. I looked for discussion on Crossdresssing and found very little. However, I did find a study that answers these questions. ... and I forget the results <<ducking to dodge high heeled shoes being cast in his direction>>. I am sure it was less than 10% I want to think it was less than 5%. It was a small number, similar to what one would expect, if they were being reasonable.

A meaningful study would ask multiple choice questions that have quantifiable content. How often do you dress? How often do you use makeup? How many people know that you dress? What is the air speed of an unlaiden swallow?

Then someone can take these results and define crossdressing as being someone who X and associate the appropriate statistics to it.

One cannot call any man who has worn a garment to be a CD. A guy who is so tiny he has to wear women's jeans but has no other interest in CDing is not likely thought of as a CD in his or many other people's minds.

If a study is done well, it will not be profoundly affected by people being paranoid and not answering honestly. They always state a margin of error when a good researcher presents statistics.

...I talk like I know something...... don't be deceived!! :^)

Joe