About

Jaime Lane Derringer is an Associate Professor and Assistant Head in the Department of Psychology at Illinois College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Her research interests focus on individual differences, measurement, gender and sexuality, behavior genetics, and psychological assessment. Her dual expertise in genetic methods and psychological assessment has led to the development of a research program dedicated to understanding how people, despite fundamental similarities across members of our species, display remarkable diversity and flexibility of behavior. Derringer's educational background includes a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, a B.S. in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University, and a post-doctoral fellowship at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics at the University of Colorado. She teaches courses such as Human Behavior Genetics and Personality Assessment. Her recent publications explore topics related to relationship power dynamics, public perception of genetic research on sexual orientation and gender identity, and psychosocial variables across diverse sexual and gender identities. She is also affiliated with the Social & Behavioral Sciences Institute at Illinois.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Social psychology
• Evolutionary biology
• Developmental psychology
• Epistemology
• Biology
• Demography
• Geography
• Genetics

Selected publications

• Public Perception of Genetic Research on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

  PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · 2026-04-15

  preprintOpen access

  Genetic research on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) receives disproportionate public attention compared to the limited depth of existing research. However, newer genetically informative datasets include more detailed measures of SOGI than were previously available, establishing the potential for rapid expansion of research in this area. Prior research on the relationship between genetic knowledge and social attitudes related to genetics research suggests the potential to both reduce stigma and reify genetic determinism, highlighting the need to explore stakeholder opinions regarding the impacts of genetics research. We explored public attitudes toward and anticipated risks and benefits of SOGI genetic research. Survey responses from 338 participants were collected via social media. In regression analyses, higher scores on genetic knowledge were related to more negative attitudes toward SOGI genetics research (β = -0.16) and participants who held sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) identities had more negative attitudes toward SOGI genetic research than non-SGM participants (β = -0.17). In qualitative analysis of responses to open-ended questions, participants expressing a diverse range of formal scientific training and political attitudes consistently questioned the usefulness of SOGI genetic research. Ethical concerns were described as unresolvable, both in broad terms and concerning specific applications that are currently plausible, especially related to data privacy and politicizing research results, regardless of the content. We discuss public attitudes toward SOGI genetic research in the context of the broader literature on the social, legal, and ethical implications of behavior genetics research and provide recommendations for planning and communicating SOGI genetics research.

  Publisher

• Gender expression varies within diverse gender identities and sexual orientations

  2026-04-17

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Psychological scientists typically consider gender using limited categorical identities that erase meaningful variance. Much like taking a median split is discouraged for methodological reasons, we must adopt valid and accurate assessments of key constructs to avoid reification of convenient heuristics. These categories do not capture human experience. Even within a social gender category, gender expression varies continuously as assessed by any common psychological instrument or behavioral proxy. Yet, the extent to which gender expression differs in magnitude (i.e., means) and spread (i.e., variance) across an inclusive set of gender identities has not been tested. This study examines patterns of variation in dimensional measures of gender expression within and between diverse gender identity categories. Using a convenience sample of adults oversampled for diverse gender identities and sexual orientations (N=1,409), our results revealed variance in gender expression within categorical gender identities and overlap in gender expression between categories, with less pronounced differences between sexual orientation categories. These results illustrate the importance of recognizing gender as complex spectra to better represent diverse personal experiences. In contrast to notions of identity conformity within certain social groups, we find that individuals holding similar identities are just as likely to differ from one another in their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, regardless of the identity.

  PublisherDOI

• Gender expression varies within diverse gender identities and sexual orientations

  PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · 2026-04-14

  preprintOpen access

  Psychological scientists typically consider gender using limited categorical identities that erase meaningful variance. Much like taking a median split is discouraged for methodological reasons, we must adopt valid and accurate assessments of key constructs to avoid reification of convenient heuristics. These categories do not capture human experience. Even within a social gender category, gender expression varies continuously as assessed by any common psychological instrument or behavioral proxy. Yet, the extent to which gender expression differs in magnitude (i.e., means) and spread (i.e., variance) across an inclusive set of gender identities has not been tested. This study examines patterns of variation in dimensional measures of gender expression within and between diverse gender identity categories. Using a convenience sample of adults oversampled for diverse gender identities and sexual orientations (N=1,409), our results revealed variance in gender expression within categorical gender identities and overlap in gender expression between categories, with less pronounced differences between sexual orientation categories. These results illustrate the importance of recognizing gender as complex spectra to better represent diverse personal experiences. In contrast to notions of identity conformity within certain social groups, we find that individuals holding similar identities are just as likely to differ from one another in their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, regardless of the identity.

  Publisher

• Contextualized Gender Variation

  OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) · 2026-01-04

  otherOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

• Public Perception of Genetic Research on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

  Behavior Genetics · 2026-02-28

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Genetic research on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) receives disproportionate public attention compared to the limited depth of existing research. However, newer genetically informative datasets include more detailed measures of SOGI than were previously available, establishing the potential for rapid expansion of research in this area. Prior research on the relationship between genetic knowledge and social attitudes related to genetics research suggests the potential to both reduce stigma and reify genetic determinism, highlighting the need to explore stakeholder opinions regarding the impacts of genetics research. We explored public attitudes toward and anticipated risks and benefits of SOGI genetic research. Survey responses from 338 participants were collected via social media. In regression analyses, higher scores on genetic knowledge were related to more negative attitudes toward SOGI genetics research (β = -0.16) and participants who held sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) identities had more negative attitudes toward SOGI genetic research than non-SGM participants (β = -0.17). In qualitative analysis of responses to open-ended questions, participants expressing a diverse range of formal scientific training and political attitudes consistently questioned the usefulness of SOGI genetic research. Ethical concerns were described as unresolvable, both in broad terms and concerning specific applications that are currently plausible, especially related to data privacy and politicizing research results, regardless of the content. We discuss public attitudes toward SOGI genetic research in the context of the broader literature on the social, legal, and ethical implications of behavior genetics research and provide recommendations for planning and communicating SOGI genetics research.

  PublisherDOI

• “To Know Thyself”: A Qualitative Exploration of Motivating Factors for BDSM and Kink Participants Who Hold Dominant Identities

  2025-05-15

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  The motivations behind a person’s involvement in BDSM and kink are widely misunderstood, which further perpetuates stigma towards those who engage in BDSM and kink or are a part of the community. Prior work suggests that BDSM and kink engagement in general may function as self-help for people in the community (Beckmann, 2001). Media portrayals Dominant roles, however, are often harmful misrepresentations of BDSM and kink lifestyles and practices as being abusive. We collected online interviews completed by people with Dominant roles and identities to assess themes related to motivations specifically related to their self-identified role. Participants were asked 10 free-response questions regarding their motivations and experiences. The current study evaluated the themes present among 32 participants reporting Dominant identities. We found that participants’ descriptions of their motivations for being a Dominant consistently referred to five themes: upbringing and past experience; identity versus practice; control and power exchange; connection, fulfillment, and self-expression and individual and community values. This shows that there are complex motivating factors for participants to engage with or identify as Dominant, opening potential directions of exploration to understand the development of kink and BDSM identities and experiences.

  PublisherDOI

• Gender expression varies within diverse gender identities in adolescents and adults

  2025-02-06

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Gender is typically considered in psychological science using limited categorical identities that do not necessarily capture the experiences of gender diverse people. Gender expression, in contrast to social identities, is generally understood as continuous, and even within a categorical gender identity, variation in gender typicality is well-established. Yet, the way individuals integrate identity, expression, and experiences is complex and likely subject to changing social norms. This study examines patterns of variance in dimensional measures of gender expression within and between diverse gender identity categories. We compare results across two data sets spanning adolescence and adulthood: a sample of diverse adolescents throughout the United States (N=10,120) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset, and a convenience sample of adults oversampled for diverse gender identities and sexual orientations (N=1,405). Across both samples, our results revealed variance in gender expression within categorical gender identities and overlap in gender expression between categories, with less pronounced differences between sexual orientation categories in adults than in adolescents. We find both variation and consistency in gender expression across age cohorts, potentially informing the development of gender expression over time. These results illustrate the importance of recognizing gender as complex spectra to better represent diverse personal experiences.

  PublisherDOI

• Author response for "Gathering demographic data about gender, sexuality, and relational identities: Asking what we need to know"

  2025-09-26

  peer-reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Parental and partner attachment working models in romantic relationships of nonbinary adults

  Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · 2025-01-28

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Attachment working models are mental and emotional representations of the self and others. A central question within attachment theory is how best to conceptualize the relationship between different attachment working models, such as how one’s attachment to parents may influence partner-specific working models and impact romantic relationship satisfaction. Despite the robust evidence that attachment theory can be appropriately applied across developmental and cultural contexts and the functional similarity of attachment in women and men, little research has examined attachment working models among nonbinary people. The current study tested competing hypotheses replicating the work by Dugan and Fraley (2022), extended to a large sample of nonbinary adults ( N = 2,811). Similar to previous findings, our results supported the mediation hypothesis, which suggests that parental (defined as mother and father) attachment working models indirectly relate to romantic relationship satisfaction through romantic partner attachment working models. We also report comparisons of attachment overall between nonbinary people, men, and women, which showed that there were smaller mean differences between nonbinary people and women, yet more similar correlations between nonbinary people and men. These findings highlight the generalizability of attachment theory to diverse, nonbinary gender identities.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Registered Report Stage II: Does personality vary by relationship power? An investigation of satisfaction in diverse romantic partnerships

  Journal of Research in Personality · 2025-04-06 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant F31DA029377

  NIH · $36k · 2011

Frequent coauthors

• Tõnu Esko

  39 shared

• Jaakko Kaprio

  Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland

  37 shared

• Caroline Hayward

  University of Edinburgh

  36 shared

• Robert F. Krueger

  32 shared

• Johan G. Eriksson

  Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences

  32 shared

• Matt McGue

  Twin Cities Orthopedics

  32 shared

• William G. Iacono

  Twin Cities Orthopedics

  31 shared

• Aarno Palotie

  Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland

  30 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Psychology

  University of Minnesota

  2011

• B.S.

  Carnegie Mellon University

  2006