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Kristina Olson is a psychologist and an associate professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is known for her research on the development of social categories, transgender youth, and variation in human gender development. Olson was the recipient of the 2016 Janet Taylor Spence Award from the Association for Psychological Science for transformative early career contributions.

Biography
Kristina Olson received her B.A. in Psychology and African and African-American Studies from Washington University in 2003. She completed her PhD from Harvard University in 2008, where she worked with Elizabeth Spelke, Mahzarin Banaji, and Carol S. Dweck. After graduating from Harvard, Olson joined the faculty of Yale University. Subsequent;y, in 2013, she moved to the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. There, she directs the Social Cognitive Development Lab. Olson's research has been funded through grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Arcus Foundation.

Outside of academic work, Olson directs The TransYouth Project, which is the largest-to-date longitudinal research study of transgender children, with over 350 children enrolled from across the United States and Canada. The TransYouth Project "aims to help scientists, educators, parents, and children better understand the varieties of human gender development." Recent findings from this project indicate that transgender children are not confused, delayed, pretending, or oppositional with regards to their gender identity. On tasks, such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which measure social knowledge, attitudes, and stereotypes about gender, transgender children respond similarly to "typical" cisgender children who match their gender identity (i.e., their expressed gender). Such findings suggest that the gender identity of transgender children is stable and deeply held.

Research
In research examining mental health outcomes, Olson and colleagues have observed typical rates of depression and only marginally elevated rates of anxiety in transgender children when compared to control groups of children. Such findings contrast with reports of poor mental health outcomes among transgender adults, who frequently experience discrimination and marginalization. In interviews, Olson has emphasized the importance of supportive parents and families in helping transgender youth feel accepted, safe, and secure, especially as they transition through adolescence to adulthood.

Representative Publications

 * Olson, K. R., Banaji, M. R., Dweck, C. S., & Spelke, E. S. (2006). Children's biased evaluations of lucky versus unlucky people and their social groups. Psychological Science, 17(10), 845-846.
 * Olson, K. R., & Dweck, C. S. (2008). A blueprint for social cognitive development. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 193-202.
 * Olson K. R., Durwood L., & DeMeules M., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2016). Mental health of transgender children who are supported in their identities. Pediatrics, 137(3), e20153223.
 * Olson, K. R., & Spelke, E. S. (2008). Foundations of cooperation in young children. Cognition, 108(1), 222-231.


 * Newheiser, A. K., & Olson, K. R. (2012). White and Black American children's implicit intergroup bias. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(1), 264-270.