Gender Differences Flashcards
(7 cards)
Lazarus and Folkman
Suggested that:
- men have tendency to use problem focused methods and aim to change/eliminate stressor
- women generally use emotion focused methods which reduce/eliminate the emotional response to a stressor
Peterson et al (assessing coping measures)
Created a ways of coping questionnaire
. Found women are more likely to accept blame and use various avoidance tactics which are both emotion based methods
^ supports Lazarus and Folkman
Taylor et al - Tend and Befriend
Most of the research conducted into fight or flight is conducted on males which from an evolutionary perspective is disadvantageous to females as makes it difficult to protect offspring
Tending = protecting and nurturing offspring and blending in
Befriending = seeking support from social networks
Oxytocin
What tend and befriend stress response is driven by, hormone produced by males and females
. Promote feelings of good will and affiliation and plays a role in formation of mother-infant attachment
- Diminished in males by testosterone
- Enhanced in females by oestrogen
Research into tend and befriend
Luckow et al reviewed 26 studies of gender differences in ‘seeking and using social support’ as way of coping with stress
. Women much more likely to use method in 25 studies
Evaluation (explaining gender differences)
. Role constraint theory argues differences in coping with stress are mostly due to different stressors they face
(Coping strategies are highly situation specific)
. Matud found women and men experienced similar numbers of stressful life changes but different types - women perceived stressors as more negative and less controllable
Evaluation (are emotion and problem focused strategies different ?)
. Found greater gender differences in infertility stress - discovered men and women didn’t use classic gender coping mechanisms
. Reaching for social support can be problem and emotion focused
