Does the COGIATI really work?

[LizK]

I remember the first time I ever took the test it just seemed to contrived...and then of course there is the disclaimer. I had the test as an app for awhile as I was trying to work out what answers manipulated the test to give what result. In the end after taking it enough times it became obvious how easy it was to manipulate the score.  There didn't seem to one particular question but more like a series of them that manipulated the outcome and they were so obvious. This was quite some time ago now but as a diagnostic tool you just need to ensure you read the disclaimer before taking the test because it say all you need to know about the validity of the test.

A bit of fun but based on an old and outdated model that was never correct.

Liz

[Eva Marie]

No, the COGIATI is far from being a valid scientific test.

I always knew that I was "different" but didn't know what the difference was. In my mid 40s I stumbled onto a BBC "brain gender" quiz (another test that is not scientific) and took it out of curiosity. The results of that test were that I had both male and female thought patterns - huh? I had never heard of such a thing and didn't think it was even possible.

That led me to search for more tests - I found the COGIATI and one other test and took them and got the same answer. Those 3 tests got me to thinking, which led to realizations, which eventually led to where i am today.

So, scientific? No. Useful? In my case they were.

[warlockmaker]

I grew up always assuming that you were gay or straight and that TGs were simply a derivative of being gay. Used to joke that tgs were the ultimate gay. I knew I was not gay.  I've always had a very curious mind and looking for confirmation that my quirkish thoughts were simply a  devient male look at sex.

So I innocently took the Cogati test. Its result was that I am most likly and should talk with a therapist asap. That was the begining of my journey over 10 years ago.

Reading this post caused me to reflect on my test and its results. I believe the test works if you are not fully aware of Tgs and that you did not know what it is. If you know I believe you can take the test to reaffirm your belief. Today, tgs are openly discussed and included now as part of LGBT and the test is not effective.

[Harley Quinn]

OMG! They have tests for this? I just out of the blue asked my doctor if I could be a girl and she said "sure... how do you want your drugs? And oh, should we schedule you for an orchie? You wouldn't have to worry about T blockers..." to which I respond "Easy Trigger! One step at a time." Then she stuck me with a needle loaded with estrogen. The blood tests came later... weird.

I say do what makes you happy. You're the only thing in your life that's forever...

[Dena]

OMG! They have tests for this? I just out of the blue asked my doctor if I could be a girl and she said "sure... how do you want your drugs? And oh, should we schedule you for an orchie? You wouldn't have to worry about T blockers..." to which I respond "Easy Trigger! One step at a time." Then she stuck me with a needle loaded with estrogen. The blood tests came later... weird.

I say do what makes you happy. You're the only thing in your life that's forever...

WOW. It took me about 4 years before I was able to talk a doctor into giving me my first pill. Orchidies where never mentioned and T blockers where years away. You are truly living in wonder land.

[Dee]

I always saw this as one of those self-affirming self assessments. Sometimes, you're desperate enough to put your faith into a pseudo-science diagnosis, and the way you navigate through obviously biased questions says a lot more than the results.

What that says, could be loooots of things. But it's not the test! It's how you see yourself, and how you experience your life!

[laurenb]

I took that test years ago. I found it so riddled with stereotypes that many cis women I know would probably flunk it.

That being said, we in this little online community could likely create a pretty valid questionnaire based on each of our varied but common experiences. If we all submitted a question or two and then collated them (there'd be several of the same I'm guessing), I think it would be more accurate (maybe not perfect).

For instance, this is a simple one that I use as an affirmation/thought experiment when I'm having doubts or WTF moments:

If you had a choice to wake up tomorrow in a permanently male or female body, which would you choose. It always reels me in because I always choose female, even if I'm in a bad way.

Anyhow, I think only Trans people could come up with a valid test because only we have lived in our shoes. I've been with two cis therapists (who have helped me significantly and I love both), but sometimes I'm not sure they even totally get it.

It would almost be easier to do the negative test ... you're not Trans if ....

[Devlyn]

From Jennifer Diane Reitz (the creator of the test)

"The COGIATI is a prototype. It was designed for only one target: the curious, unsure, pre-operative POTENTIAL Male-To-Female transsexual (not a post-op, not someone who is already certain, not a Female-To-Male, not anyone else who fails to fit the stated definition target). Further, it was constructed for that given target only because no scientifically and medically based test for such people exists. None. Anywhere. I saw that there was a void, no physicians were filling it, and so I set to work. The COGIATI is a challenge to the scientific and medical community to follow my example, and do a better job than I."

[Harley Quinn]

WOW. It took me about 4 years before I was able to talk a doctor into giving me my first pill. Orchidies where never mentioned and T blockers where years away. You are truly living in wonder land.

I go to a teaching hospital run by the Veterans Health Administration. All my doctors are Fellows doing their internships... imagine an episode of "Scrubs". There's all sorts of strange protocols that are hit and miss and I switch out doctors all the time. If you don't like the answer you get, wait 5 minutes. Or bug their Attending.. who has like 10 of these interns running around. It's super crazy! And these doctors haven't been doctors long enough to be jaded by life and lawsuits.  I get to break them all in proper with my brand of crazy straight out of medical school!

[amazonprincess]

I thought it was pretty stereotypical but i had fun playing with it, heard it was far from scientific...that's what i know.

[Tanya62]

The mere act of taking the test in itself shows more than a passing interest in how one identifies as one of the opposite sex. Unless pranking is counted as a legitimate answer. Sure, you would not want to make a final diagnosis or choice based on the results of it, but why would anyone not interested in their own sexual identity even contemplate the test? Any way, I enjoyed taking the test, don't give it too much shrift, found myself probable transgender, even though my renewed HRT is over 4 months now, and SRS is very far behind me now.

The fact that I never had any training as far as being a girl is concerned also played largely into my probability of being diagnosed as having GD, instead of being solidly Transexual. I never thought much about that before, but girls usually go thru training as to how to be a girl. Makeup, dressing, how to behave [including the stereotypical behavior assigned at birth]... And this training is usually administered by, surprise surprise, other girls/women who want the best for them.

Of course, I could be wrong...

[Steph Eigen]

I agree.  Just the act of wondering seriously if you are somewhere on the trans spectrum is virtually diagnostic of being on this spectrum.  Similarly, if you are compelled to take the COGIATI or similar tests, the urge is surely driven by underlying gender uncertainty or related questioning.

I find it interesting that the gender identification urge is strong and internal but the manifestations of it are external, typically body shape, anatomy, sexual roles.  A curious part of this is the huge body of learned behaviors, gestures, movements, postures, etc. which are transmitted mother to daughter and from female peer group from earliest social encounters with family, peer groups in childhood, teachers, etc. on up through adulthood. 

It is no wonder that it is a struggle for many late transitioning transwomen many of whom have previously while living in masculine roles resorted to hypermasculinization as a defense against the constant urge to express femininity.  Suddenly reality hits: they have chosen to be essentially reborn as an adult  woman without he benefit of this intensive education, socialization and indoctrination natal women have had benefit of since birth.  It is not surprise that nearly all go through what is essentially female adolescence as part  of transition.

[LizK]

....  It is not surprise that nearly all go through what is essentially female adolescence as part  of transition.

The other thing about this is that time frame is compressed significantly...My learning curve has been very steep and I am not even presenting myself as Liz full time yet and once that happens in a couple of months I expect the learning curve to increase even further before it does eventually peak out.

Liz

[Michelle_P]

The other thing about this is that time frame is compressed significantly...My learning curve has been very steep and I am not even presenting myself as Liz full time yet and once that happens in a couple of months I expect the learning curve to increase even further before it does eventually peak out.

Yeah, I totally get that.  Trying to present as a normal 62 year old female with a 14 year old bouncing around inside delighted with finally getting out is an interesting experience.  Makes shopping tricky .

There are so many subtle details to learn, from gestures while speaking, posture under different conditions, ways of greeting one another, seemingly tiny details of speech and mannerism...  All the subtle socialization details girls learn from those around them as they grow up.  Oh, I've been exposed to these all my life, but the stuff I had to use to pass as male was all from the male side of our culture.

There's an entire other side to these cultural behaviors I've witnessed but never practiced.  I'm getting a lot of help, though, from my new social contacts, practicing what I've picked up from people-watching.

I've got the gender identification.  It's the gender presentation, particularly social, that is rough right now.  I'm working on it...