Psyche Students Visiting This Site?

[Desirae]

I just wonder if anyone thinks that psychology students, grad students, doctoral students working on dissertations (or even Psychologists or Psychiatrists or other medical doctors) visit this site in order to glean information for their works? And I don't just mean by visiting as a visitor and perusing the threads. I mean by joining as a member and posing as a TG/CD/TS and then asking certain questions.

I only ask because it seems a few newer members have posted some questions to solicit very specific responses to certain things. I don't know. I'm probably wrong about this. At least about the newer members. I can't even name them by name and I don't feel like going back through all of the posts to find the "suspicious" posts.

I just wonder if anyone thinks it happens or knows of it happening in the past. I really don't have a problem with it myself. I'm really just curious.

[Shelly Preston]

Desirae, this is a support group.

If you think something is suspicious then you should report the post stating your concerns.

You can report any post by using the small triangle in the bottom left of every post.

[AllieSF]

I would guess that this site would be a great source of information for students and professors. I would just hope that they would be professional enough to reveal their presence, state their reasons for being here and then ask whatever they like, as well as request consented participation in their studies or research. There are probably a lot of fakes here in all the different sections, and hopefully the bad ones get weeded out sooner rather than later.

I believe that the more we are looked at, studied, researched or whatever, the less we will be considered rarities in the "normal" world and considered more just another minority among the whole. One can hope.

[Desirae]

I don't think I should have use the word "suspicious". To me suspicious would imply "ill intent" or something. As I said, I really don't have a problem with that kind of thing. I'm not sure how ethical it is if that is happening or has happened. I mean it would stand to reason, would it not, that students or doctors would visit a site like this in order to gain a better understanding of Cds or TSs? I'm not sure that their ethical guidelines would even allow for them to "pose" as a CD or TS in order to get better, more honest answers to questions than they would if their professional identity was disclosed. Like I said, I can't point to one post where I got this feeling that there was "something more" in the questions. I could be completely off base, too. That's probably more than likely. I cannot say that my gut feelings on things have always proved to be correct. I was just more curious as to what others thought. If this topic is inappropriate, it won't hurt my feelings if it is deleted or moved.

I don't think that they would get the same degree of honesty if they revealed their identity. Like I said, I don't know if this is happening or has happened in the past. I'm not sure if their ethics allow deception in order to gather information.

I'm not saying that it's not a good thing. Actually, I think it is a good thing. Or COULD be a good thing. I think that would depend on the hypothesis being explored and what information is gathered.

I'm mostly curious if anyone else has gotten that "gut feeling" about certain postings..........that there seems to be "something more" in the intent of the posting.

[Annaliese]

Who care,
probably a good thing,
I think if they want info to just ask,
the world is changing

[suchacutie]

Personally, I would be delighted to have any curious and open-minded individual looking at this site for information. I can't think of a better place to have stereotypes disabused. My only requirement is that anyone engaged in publishable research do so responsibly .

[Marcelle]

Hi Desirae,

If they were just reading the website then they would have as much right to read it as anyone who logs on and reads the "male to female cross dressing" section as it is open to the public.

Now if a registered psychologist or MD was posing as a TG/CD/TS to garner information for practice/research they would be in breach of their ethical code of conduct and could face sanctions . . . not saying they would not do it but it is a big risk. If were graduate students posing as TG/CD/TS to garner information for dissertations, once again they would be in breach of academic ethics. Specifically, if they cited case studies based on information garnered while posing, they would have to cite source and of course produce "informed consent" of all personal information used. No university would allow the use of personal information without consent for the purpose of academic research. At least this is how it is up in Canada and I am assuming the same would hold true in other countries.

But then again . . . you never know.

Hugs

Isha

[Robin777]

My opinion, if a psychologist or a psychiatrist visits this site and gets a better understanding about us, more power to them. If a student or a practicing professional is using this site to gain a better understanding on how our minds work ,I don't really have a problem with it. The way I look at it,once you put on the internet it is out there for everybody to see. I don't know if a professional therapist is on this site as a lurker.If they are, I encourage them to join. I wouldn't mind picking their brain.

Just my 2 cents on the subject.

Robin

[ziggie]

I actually happen to be a Psychology professor, a fact that I don't mention much but also have no intention to hide. I also happen to crossdress on occasion, which is what brings me here. You are probably right, however, in guessing that students sometimes lurk or even join in order to glean information for papers and projects.

[mikiSJ]

Since most of us hide behind psuedonyms and thus are willing to bare our souls to the rest of the forum, I am not troubled by someone doing research on who we are, what we are or why we are.

If there are more therapists out there qualified in gender issues, then that is to our benefit - don't you think.

I would guess there are more trolls than researchers visiting the site.

[Eryn]

If reading my posts enables a student to come up with a more realistic view of the TG world that means that the forum has achieved one of its goals.

One of the groups I belong to maintains a speakers' bureau that is used by local college professors who want their students to hear things "from the horse's mouth." It's one thing to hear a lecture, but having a real breathing person there puts a human face on the issues.

[AllieSF]

To add to my previous post. I remember one or more posts where someone identified their intent to request interviews with members here, if they wanted to participate, so that the person could do some research. I think they they were post-graduate students too.

[paulaprimo]

i'm sure there are some here like that. but i would also wager that they are probably dressed en femme as they "study" us...

[NicoleScott]

Let's hope they do visit this site. Maybe they'll see that we're just normal folks who like to crossdress occasionally. Of course, I speak only for myself - I'm not sure about the rest of you. haha

[Krista1985]

Let's face it, we're a misunderstood bunch.

If someone were doing research on the topic, than this would be a treasure trove of information. And shedding some light on what it means to be a CD would not be a bad thing in my view. There are some limitations on the value of this site for academic research though. First, you can't really refer to a posting on an online message board in an academic study. The information is unreliable and to include it would require certain permissions to use (off the top of my head the O.P. and mods would have to sanction it.) I believe there is little risk that a member will one day stumble across one of their posts being cited in a research paper without their knowledge and consent.

More likely is the scenario put forth by Allie SF. A researcher might decide to sign up, log in and then request an interview with a member utilizing a series of prepared questions relevant to their thesis. That would likely be accompanied by some sort of release form.

That's my best guess. I'm no PHD but I did get a masters (not in Psych though) and when citing an interview in research always got a signed release from the interviewee.

[Wildaboutheels]

A sharp person of any kind [regardless of profession] should use multiple sources of information when doing research. You DO know the purpose of this site I hope?

[stephNE]

Yes, this would make an interesting study. One thing I am always surprised to find here, is that we have a lot in common.

[Sarah Beth]

They may use the site to obtain some general information or incite but it wouldn't be anything that would be of any value to a major research project because for that they have to have to control groups, and have to outline their study and do disclsures to participants. The information they uas has to be verifiable to be of any value to the academic community. Been there done that.

[Jaylyn]

Really as long as they are not being intrusive and can protect the identity of individuals that want to be protected then I'd say they can ask me anything. I wonder why sometimes myself that I love dressing and acting feminine from time to time. I'm with Nicole on this maybe they'll find why she and I just like to dress..... Lol. ( and wear creamy deep red lipstick )

[Tracii G]

I have no problem with them doing research here.
But it would be nice if they joined and stated their intent honestly be they students or professors.They would get more interviews if they were honest about who they were.
Some of the questions asked here by some make me wonder if they really are CD/TG and not researchers fishing for info because they tend to speak out their backside.
By that I mean quoting research material with footnotes and all trying to sound intelligent but have no real world experience in the matter.
We all know you can read all the books you want and claim to be smart but are you really?
When people come on here spouting numbers and percentages as fact I tend to dismiss the whole comment.
Why do I do that? Because it shows they appear to be the lazy type that rely on other people findings to form their opinions.
You want to do research be above board let us know who you are why you are here don't hide behind a fictitous screen name.

[Desirae]

Let's hope they do visit this site. Maybe they'll see that we're just normal folks who like to crossdress occasionally. Of course, I speak only for myself - I'm not sure about the rest of you. haha

HaHa

A sharp person of any kind [regardless of profession] should use multiple sources of information when doing research. You DO know the purpose of this site I hope?

To get more crossdressers out of the closet??????



Let's be real. There are some very drama-laced stories and soul baring revelations made by some of the members on here. Some of them could be the basis for a movie. And let's face it, a lot of representations in the media still show us in more negative light. If there are "incognito" researchers on here, they could certainly acquire a lot of anecdotal information for which they wouldn't have to cite sources. They could, also, use postings to form hypotheses for later exploration. As I stated, I'm all for anything that presents our community in a more positive fashion. Not all people have good motives, though.

[MissTee]

OMG, I hope not! They might discover I wear panties and love cute shoes!! I'm sure that would upend the whole psychiatry community forever

[Elisa Lace]

I would've loved to come in here back when I was still studying psychology to know more about what I then thought of it as a "disorder".. gee I would've felt much better to know that I wasn't the only one.

Now... I'm not really inclined to research, but if I ever do, I will sure ask for help on this site.

[phoenix1105]

I have a Master's and Doctoral Degree in Social Work, both from a state University in the US. That being said, any student using material they found on this, or really any other message board would not fly with the professor of the class. All the papers I wrote I had to write up a list of sources. Just the logistics of getting informed consent from the OP and possible conflict with the mods would be huge. If the student wrote up what they observed or found out about the subject matter of this site, and didn't provide a legitimate source the professor would propably rip them a new one. I know my professors would have.

[bridget thronton]

More importantly - there is the matter of obtaining informed consent from research subjects and having the study protocols approved by the institutional review board. So there may be some poking around, but no serious work.