Research
Overview
In a rapidly evolving world where systems often fail to keep pace with our understanding of human experience and misinformation spreads like wildfire, interdisciplinary psychological research is uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change. Existing at the intersection of multiple subfields of psychology, much of my work integrates principles and theories from across psychology with insights from fields such as public health, media studies, and political science, to tackle critical and current issues related to health inequity and the spread of misinformation. In particular, my work sought to engage these issues through: (1) the examination of systems of health through the lens of transgender health, and (2) understanding susceptibility to and correcting misinformation.
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Examining systems of health through the lens of TGD health
Barriers to the highest attainable standard of health are often insurmountable for those who are impacted by systems of inequity and marginalization. My first line of research applies the lens of marginalization to understanding of systems of health. By examining health and health outcomes of transgender individuals in context, we can understand where and under what circumstances systems of health break down. My work has examined how situational factors, such as discrimination and community connection, influences the potentially positive relationship between outness and psychological distress, how TGD individuals use substances to cope with stressors, and, most recently, how the current legislative attacks on the rights of transgender individuals is impacting individuals’ lives and well-being.
My work also examines the experiences of transgender individuals within healthcare settings. For example, my colleagues and I have examined the impacts and role of telehealth plays in opening up access to gender affirming healthcare for transgender individuals. In other work, I engaged in the first every in-depth exploration of gender-related medical misattribution and invasive questioning (GRMMIQ). GRMMIQ, known by the colloquial name “trans broken arm syndrome,” is a form of medical discrimination characterized by the perception of TGD patients through the medicalized lens of their gender identity or medical transition. My work found high rates of these experiences while developing a thematic framework through which to understand such experiences.
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Understanding susceptibility to and correcting misinformation
Since 2021, over 2500 anti-transgender bills and policies proposed at the state and federal level that have been intended to impact the health, safety, and wellbeing of transgender individuals. Many of the supporter these forms of legislation claim that between 60-90% of transgender youth cease identifying as transgender. This claim, often referred to as “desistence” led me and my colleagues to taking a more in-depth examination of the data. We concluded that this “desistance rate” is likely highly overestimated due to a combination of volunteer bias, methodological considerations, and environmental contexts. This project led me to an interest in a newer line of work: misinformation.
My first foray into misinformation sought to examine what makes individuals susceptible to misinformation about gender affirming healthcare. Using a theoretically driven structural equation modelling approach, I simultaneously examined the impacts of superficial information processing, motivated reasoning, and social influence on susceptibility to misinformation. It wasn’t simply lazy thinking – people believed misinformation because it confirmed their worldview and the worldviews of respected others. I have conceptually replicated these results to examine misinformation about vaccines and abortions, demonstrating the roles that social influence and motivated reasoning play on misinformation susceptibility while also identifying targets for intervention.
Selected Peer-Reviewed Articles
Full publications list
† - Indicates trainee; All publications available upon request
23. Wall, C.S.J., McLamore, Q., & Sakaluk, J. K. (In Press). "Desistance": A multi-method review of the literature on gender identity variability in transgender and gender diverse youth. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.
22. Wall, C.S.J., Duffy, C., Cull, S., Cardinale-McGinnis, G., Otieno, J., Mardigian, F. †, Easter, R. † & Benotsch, E.G. (In Press). “An environment of fear wherever I go”: A mixed-methods examination of the perspectives and experiences of transgender and gender diverse individuals in the face of anti-transgender legislation. American Psychologist.
21. Maldonado, G. T., Patev, A. J., Carrico, M. A., Wall, C. S., Barnes, A. J., & Cobb, C. O. (2026). Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems for Weight Control Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals Who Smoke Cigarettes. Substance Use & Misuse, 61(4), 553-562.
20. Maldonado, G. T., Patev, A. J., Carrico, M. A., Wall, C. S., Barnes, A. J., & Cobb, C. O. (2025). Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems for Weight Control Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals Who Smoke Cigarettes. Substance Use & Misuse, 1-10.
19. Fowler, L. A., Wang, Y., Wall, C., Velkovich, A., Harrop, E. N., Vázquez, M. M., ... & Mann, E. S. (2025). " If I can accept my queerness, I can accept my body as it is": Understanding weight-related perspectives and stigma from sexual minority women. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16, 1687680.
18. Duffy, C. M., Wall, C. S., Cull, S. L., Otieno, J. A., Schult, D., Mardigian, F. R., ... & Benotsch, E. G. (2025). Improving access to gender-affirming care: a mixed-methods exploration of the role of telehealth. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 59(1), kaaf074.
17. McFadyen, J., Jones, T. W., Koek, R., Harte, F., Jansen, B., Galbally, M., ... & Ravine, A. (2025). An autoethnographic critique of a past report of inpatient psychiatric treatment for gender diverse children. Medical Journal of Australia, 223(7), 359-364.
16. Henry, R.S., Alen-Flanagan, E., Wall, C.S.J., Marshall, Z., & Thombs, B. (2024). Gender
inclusivity of Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines intended to be applied or implemented based on sex or gender: A descriptive study. Transgender Health
15. Duffy, C., Wall, C.S.J., & Hagiwara, N. (2024). Factors associated with college students’ attitudes toward telehealth for primary care. Telemedicine and e-Health.
14. Wall, C.S.J., Patev, A.J., & Benotsch, E.G. (2023). Trans broken arm syndrome: A mixed-methods exploration of gender-related medical misattribution and invasive questioning. Social Science & Medicine, 320, 115748.
13. Smout, S.A., Wall, C.S.J., Mason, K.L., Stanford, M.K., O’Neill, K.A., Carrico, M., & Benotsch, E.G. (2023). An exploration of psychological distress, employment, and housing among transgender and gender diverse individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 10(1), 157-165.
12. Benotsch, E.G., Wall, C.S., Mason, K. L., Smout, S. A., Coston, E. B., Carrico, M.A. †, O’Neill, K. A. †, Tinsley, J., Stanford, M. †, Yan, D., & Pham, A. (2023). Use of substances to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic among transgender and gender diverse adults. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 49(1), 129-139.
11. Maldonado, G.T., Bono, R.S., Wall, C.S., Lester, R.C., Hoetger, C., Blankenship, M. †, ... & Cobb, C.O. (2023). Acute effects of flavored Black and Mild cigars among young adult cigarette smokers. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 31(4), 817-822.
10. Berry, D. R., Wall, C. S., Cairo, A. H., Plonski, P. E., Boman, L. D., Rodriguez, K., & Brown, K. W. (2023). Brief mindfulness instruction predicts anonymous prosocial helping of an ostracized racial outgroup member. Mindfulness, 14(2), 378-394.
9. Wall, C.S.J., Mason, K.L., Smout, S.A., O’Neill, K.A. †, Stanford, M.K. †, Carrico, M. †, & Benotsch, E.G. (2022). Having a community helps: Environmental context influences the impact of outness on psychological distress in gender minority populations. Stigma and Health, 7(4), 414-422.
8. Mason, K.L., Smout, S.A., Wall, C.S., Coston, B.E., Perrin, P.B., & Benotsch, E.G. (2022). Exposure to childhood healthcare discrimination and healthcare avoidance among transgender and gender independent adults during a global pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(12), 7440.
7. Tam, C.C., Smout, S.A., Wall, C.S., Mason, K.L., & Benotsch, E.G. (2022). Behavioral intervention for nonmedical use of prescription drugs among adolescents and young adults: A narrative review. Pediatric Clinics, 69(4), 807-818.
6. Hoetger, C., Wall, C.S.J., Rudy, A.K., Nicksic, N.E., Bhatt, S.M., Sey, N.Y., ... & Cobb, C.O. (2022). Content appealing to youth and spend characteristics of electronic cigarette video advertisements. Journal of Public Health, 44(1), 129-137.
5. Bono, R.S., Cobb, C.O., Wall, C.S., Lester, R.C., Hoetger, C., Lipato, T., Guy, M.C., Eissenberg, T., Bickel, W.K., & Barnes, A.J. (2022). Behavioral economic assessment of abuse liability for Black & Mild cigar flavors among young adults. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 30(1), 113-119.
4. Berry, D. R., Wall, C. S., Tubbs, J. D., Zeidan, F., & Brown, K. W. (2021). Short-term training in mindfulness predicts helping behavior toward racial ingroup and outgroup members. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 14(1), 60-71.
3. Behler, A. M. C., Wall, C. S. J., Cashwell, A., & Green, J.D. (2020). To help or to harm?: Assessing the impact of envy & gratitude on antisocial behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,46(7), 1156-1168.
2. Tabaac, A. R., Sutter, M. E., Wall, C. S., & Baker, K. E. (2018). Gender identity disparities in cancer screening behaviors. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(3), 385-393.
1. all, C. S., Bono, R. S., Lester, R. C., Hoetger, C., Lipato, T., Guy, M. C., Eissenberg, T. E., Bickel, W. K., Barnes, A. J., & Cobb, C. O. (2018). Triangulating abuse liability assessment for flavoured cigar products using physiological, behavioural economic and subjective assessments: a within-subjects clinical laboratory protocol. BMJ open, 8(10), e023850.