The effect of different ways of providing information about transsexualism on student attitudes

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different ways of providing information about transsexualism on attitudes towards transgender persons. Three independent groups were informed about transsexualism in different ways (a formal definition of transsexualism, a vignette with a transgender person story and a YouTube video depicting a transition timeline). Participants who watched the video and those who read the vignette expressed a significant positive change in the affective component of their attitude towards transsexualism, while participants who read the definition demonstrated no change. Differences across groups in the cognitive and behavioural components of students' attitudes were also confirmed. The results indicate that more personal and detailed methods of providing information about transgender persons could contribute to reducing social transnegativity.