APA Dictionary of Psychology

gender normativity

Updated on 03/06/2026
the social, cultural, and institutional assumption that there are standard, natural, or correct ways to express, identify, and behave with respect to gender, typically aligned with binary and cisgender expectations. Gender normativity describes how norms prescribe appropriate gender roles, expressions, and behaviors, and how deviation from these norms may be stigmatized or marginalized. See also gender bias; heteronormativity.
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