The goal of this network is to bring together basic and clinical scientists conducting work in areas relevant to psychological aspects of sexual differentiation, to build an integrated and interdisciplinary understanding of the topic, focusing on both normal developmental processes and developmental problems. This should also lead to an understanding of the complex origins of the psychological problems associated with variations in psychosexual differentiation, including those common in children and adolescents with intersex disorders and those with sex-atypical behavior, and ultimately to evidence-based treatments specific to these populations.
The aims are to (1) strengthen conceptual and empirical linkages among research in several areas: (a) physical and behavioral sexual differentiation; (b) relation of psychosexual differentiation to psychopathology; (c) child, family, and peer influences on the development of mental health and illness in children and adolescents with prenatal risk factors or chronic health conditions; (2) develop collaborative research programs designed to describe (a) processes through which genes, prenatal sex hormones, and postnatal social experiences jointly contribute to the development of psychosexual differentiation; (b) ways in which trajectories of psychosexual differentiation affect overall psychological development; (c) ways in which mental health of children and adolescents with intersex conditions or sex-atypical behavior is influenced by non-sex-typed physical and social characteristics; and to (d) develop or refine animal paradigms to explain biological and social processes underlying normal and nonnormative sex-typed behaviors. Network activities include full and targeted subgroup meetings, electronic collaboration, visits between labs, development and implementation of pilot projects, and development of collaborative multi-site grant applications. The 15 network members represent expertise from molecular through behavioral levels, with rodent, monkey, and human child, adolescent, and adult populations: Sheri Berenbaum (PI), David Sandberg, Adrian Angold, Dennis Drotar, Rina Das Eiden, Erica Eugster, Barry Kogan, Mary Lee, Peter Lee, Carol Martin, Cindy Meston, Emile Rissman, Sally Shaywitz, Eric Vilain, and Kim Wallen. Consultants participating in discussion of specific issues include Robert Blizzard, Norman Fost, David Page, John McArdle, Ora Pescovitz, and Susan Resnick.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21HD044398-03
Application #
6873690
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1-CRB-J (01))
Program Officer
Freund, Lisa S
Project Start
2003-04-01
Project End
2008-03-31
Budget Start
2005-04-01
Budget End
2008-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$176,665
Indirect Cost
Name
Pennsylvania State University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
003403953
City
University Park
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
16802
Berenbaum, Sheri A (2018) Beyond Pink and Blue: The Complexity of Early Androgen Effects on Gender Development. Child Dev Perspect 12:58-64
Berenbaum, Sheri A; Beltz, Adriene M (2016) How Early Hormones Shape Gender Development. Curr Opin Behav Sci 7:53-60
Hamann, Stephan; Stevens, Jennifer; Vick, Janice Hassett et al. (2014) Brain responses to sexual images in 46,XY women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome are female-typical. Horm Behav 66:724-30
Farr, Rachel H; Diamond, Lisa M; Boker, Steven M (2014) Female same-sex sexuality from a dynamical systems perspective: sexual desire, motivation, and behavior. Arch Sex Behav 43:1477-90
DiDonato, Matthew D; Berenbaum, Sheri A (2013) Predictors and consequences of gender typicality: the mediating role of communality. Arch Sex Behav 42:429-36
Kogan, Barry A; Gardner, Melissa; Alpern, Adrianne N et al. (2012) Challenges of disorders of sex development: diverse perceptions across stakeholders. Horm Res Paediatr 78:40-6
Sandberg, David E; Gardner, Melissa D; Kogan, Barry A et al. (2011) Assessing health-related quality of life in disorders of sex development: phase I - item generation. Adv Exp Med Biol 707:143-6
Diamond, Lisa M; Wallen, Kim (2011) Sexual minority women's sexual motivation around the time of ovulation. Arch Sex Behav 40:237-46
DiDonato, Matthew D; Berenbaum, Sheri A (2011) The benefits and drawbacks of gender typing: how different dimensions are related to psychological adjustment. Arch Sex Behav 40:457-63
Wu, Xiufeng; Wan, Shengqin; Pujar, Shashikant et al. (2009) A single base pair mutation encoding a premature stop codon in the MIS type II receptor is responsible for canine persistent Müllerian duct syndrome. J Androl 30:46-56

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