gender differences in coping with stress

Question 1

explain gender related coping methods?

Answer 1

-men used problem focused methods and women use emotion focused methods
problem f= reduce stress by tackling root causes in rational way- relaxation
emotion f= indirectly tackling anxiety- avoidance

Question 2

evaluate Brennas research for gender related coping methods?

Answer 2

• assessed coping strategies of men+women who had been diagnosed as infertile using a ways of coping questionnaire
• gender difference emerged
• women likely to accept blame=avoidance
• men problem solved=problem focused approach

Question 3

explain tend and befriend?

Answer 3

• typical response= fight or flight
• Taylor believed it doesn’t describe stress response in women
• if a women fled they can’t protect baby, if they fight they may die and baby left w/out mother
• tending to offspring and befriending to seek support

Question 4

evaluate supporting research for tend and befriend?

Answer 4

• STRENGTH
• meta analysis, of 26 studies found 25 of them women favoured befriending
• looking to there women for support rather than seeking it from a man

Question 5

evaluate a weakness of tend and befriend?

Answer 5

• bird lady
• had fear of birds an when at beach was confronted by birds
• she ran for 15 minutes leaving her baby alone
• she took place in flight or fight rather than tend or befriend
• but this is a case study, and use the meta analysis to refute this

Question 6

explain Oxytocin?

Answer 6

• tend and befriend is driven by oxytocin which is a hormone that promotes feelings of goodwill
• found higher levels of oxytocin were linked to low levels of cortisol in female pp’s
• oestrogen increases effects of oxytocin whereas testosterone reduces
• tend and befriend is biologically seen in women and not men