Mediators of Parental Attachment and Internalized Transnegativity for Korean Transgender and Nonbinary People

Abstract

Internalization of stigmatizing messages from society is a primary risk factor for transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people. To locate points of intervention for TNB people with a high level of internalized transnegativity, the present study examined predictors of internalized transnegativity in Korean TNB adults ( N = 268) using a multiple mediator model. We hypothesized that parental attachment would predict internalized transnegativity through the mediating effect of self-shame, rejection sensitivity, and self-concept clarity. The analysis provided partial support for the mediator hypothesis. The results were consistent with a model in which self-shame fully mediates the relation between parental attachment and internalized transnegativity, with no evidence of a mediating role for self-concept clarity or rejection sensitivity. This study shows that TNB individuals reporting insecure attachment with parents are more likely to experience internalized transnegativity, and the relation is largely accounted for by the indirect effect via general self-shame.