Kristina Olson

Kristina Olson is a psychologist and an professor at Princeton University in Princeton, NJ. She is known for her research on the development of social categories, transgender youth, and variation in human gender development. Olson was recipient of the 2016 Janet Taylor Spence Award from the Association for Psychological Science for transformative early career contributions,[1][2] and the 2014 SAGE Young Scholars Award.[3] Olson received the Alan T. Waterman Award from the National Science Foundation in 2018,[4] and was the first psychological scientist to receive this prestigious award honoring early-career scientists.[5] Olson is a member of the 2018 cohort of MacArthur "Genius" fellows.[6]

Not to be confused with Kristina Olsson or Kristina Ohlsson.
Kristina Olson
Alma materWashington University, Harvard University
OccupationProfessor, Princeton University
AwardsMacArthur Genius Fellowship (2018), NSF Waterman Award (2018), APS Janet Taylor Spence Award (2016)

Biography

Kristina Olson received her B.A. in Psychology and African and African-American Studies from Washington University in 2003. She completed her PhD from Harvard University in 2008, where she worked with Elizabeth Spelke, Mahzarin Banaji, and Carol S. Dweck. After graduating from Harvard, Olson joined the faculty of Yale University. In 2013, she subsequently moved to the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington where she directs the Social Cognitive Development Lab. Olson's research has been funded through the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Arcus Foundation. In 2020, Olson joined Princeton University to lead the Human Diversity Lab as a Professor in the department of Psychology.

TransYouth Project

Olson directs The TransYouth Project, which is the largest-to-date longitudinal research study of transgender children, with over 350 children enrolled from across the United States and Canada. The TransYouth Project "aims to help scientists, educators, parents, and children better understand the varieties of human gender development."[7] Recent findings from this project indicate that transgender children are not confused, delayed, pretending, or oppositional with regards to their gender identity. On tasks, such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which measure social knowledge, attitudes, and stereotypes about gender, transgender children respond similarly to "typical" cisgender children who match their gender identity (i.e., their expressed gender).[8][9] Such findings suggest that the gender identity of transgender children is stable and deeply held.

In research examining mental health outcomes, Olson and colleagues have observed typical rates of depression and only marginally elevated rates of anxiety in transgender children when compared to control groups of children.[10][11] Such findings contrast with reports of poor mental health outcomes among transgender adults, who frequently experience discrimination and marginalization.[12] In interviews, Olson has emphasized the importance of supportive parents and families in helping transgender youth feel accepted, safe, and secure, especially as they transition through adolescence to adulthood.[13][14]

Representative publications
  • Olson, K. R., Banaji, M. R., Dweck, C. S., & Spelke, E. S. (2006). Children's biased evaluations of lucky versus unlucky people and their social groups. Psychological Science, 17(10), 845-846.
  • Olson, K. R., & Dweck, C. S. (2008). A blueprint for social cognitive development. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 193-202.
  • Olson K. R., Durwood L., & DeMeules M., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2016). Mental health of transgender children who are supported in their identities. Pediatrics, 137(3), e20153223.
  • Olson, K. R., & Spelke, E. S. (2008). Foundations of cooperation in young children. Cognition, 108(1), 222-231.
  • Newheiser, A. K., & Olson, K. R. (2012). White and Black American children's implicit intergroup bias. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(1), 264-270.

References
  1. "Kristina Olson". Association for Psychological Science. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
  2. "APS Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions". APS Observer. 29 (5). 2016-04-29.
  3. "SAGE Young Scholars Awards". www.foundationpsp.org. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  4. "Developmental psychologist receives 2018 Alan T. Waterman Award | NSF - National Science Foundation". nsf.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  5. "APS Fellow Kristina Olson Receives Nation's Top Honor for Early-Career Scientists". Association for Psychological Science. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  6. Meet the Academics Who Nabbed This Year’s MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grants, Julian Wyllie, The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 4, 2018.
  7. "TransYouth Project | Changing Lives Through Science and Service". depts.washington.edu. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  8. Olson, Kristina R.; Key, Aidan C.; Eaton, Nicholas R. (2015-03-05). "Gender Cognition in Transgender Children". Psychological Science. 26 (4): 467–474. doi:10.1177/0956797614568156. PMID 25749700.
  9. Fast, Anne A.; Olson, Kristina R. (2018). "Gender Development in Transgender Preschool Children". Child Development. 89 (2): 620–637. doi:10.1111/cdev.12758. ISSN 1467-8624. PMID 28439873.
  10. Durwood, Lily; McLaughlin, Katie A.; Olson, Kristina R. (2016). "Mental Health and Self-Worth in Socially Transitioned Transgender Youth". Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 56 (2): 116–123.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2016.10.016. PMC 5302003. PMID 28117057.
  11. Olson, Kristina R.; Durwood, Lily; DeMeules, Madeleine; McLaughlin, Katie A. (2016-03-01). "Mental Health of Transgender Children Who Are Supported in Their Identities". Pediatrics. 137 (3): e20153223. doi:10.1542/peds.2015-3223. ISSN 0031-4005. PMC 4771131. PMID 26921285.
  12. Bockting, Walter O.; Miner, Michael H.; Swinburne Romine, Rebecca E.; Hamilton, Autumn; Coleman, Eli (2013-03-14). "Stigma, Mental Health, and Resilience in an Online Sample of the US Transgender Population". American Journal of Public Health. 103 (5): 943–951. doi:10.2105/ajph.2013.301241. ISSN 0090-0036. PMC 3698807. PMID 23488522.
  13. ""Truly stunning" findings on transgender kids' mental health". Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  14. "Probing The Complexities Of Transgender Mental Health". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
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