Psychological feeling or personal conception that one is either male or female (in relatively rare cases, it may be both or none). Common in all societies, it thus appears to be a universal phenomenon, but its determinants are complex. They may be portrayed as consisting of exposure to prenatal hormone levels, influences emanating from the family and the media, and according to social learning theory through observing and maintaining gender associated behaviors. Gender identity is closely linked to gender role: gender identity is self-identified in most cases while gender role becomes evident in a person’s observable behavior, appearance and mannerisms as a result of having formed a particular gender identity.
See Dysphoria, Gender, Gender identity disorder (GID), Own-sex schema, Sex, Sex role, Sex typing, Sexual orientation, Social learning theory