Managing and coping with stress: Gender differences Flashcards
What are gender differences?
The way in which men and women differ behaviourally and psychologically.
What are gender-related coping methods to stress?
Researchers have suggested that men use problem-focused methods of coping with stress whereas women use emotion-focused methods.
What are problem-focused methods of dealing with stress?
They reduce stress by tackling it at its roots in a direct, practical and rational way. This involves taking over the situation and learning new skills such as time management or relaxation techniques.
What are emotion-focused methods of dealing with stress?
Methods to reduce stress indirectly by tackling the anxiety associated with the with a stressor. This includes keeping busy and avoidance of the stressor.
Explain research into gender-related coping methods.
Peterson- assessed the coping strategies of men and women who had been diagnosed as infertile. They used measures including the ‘ways of coping’ questionnaire.
A key gender difference emerged. Women were more likely to accept blame and use various avoidance techniques, whereas men were more likely to use problem-solving that involved making plans.
What is tend and befriend.
Taylor pointed out that the majority of studies on the fight or flight response were conducted on men and don’t show the stress response of females.
She pointed out that females tend and befriend.
Tending- Protecting, calming and nurturing offspring.
Befriend- Seeking support from social networks at times of stress in order to cope.
Research into tend and befriend.
Luckow- Reviewed 26 studies of gender differences in seeking and using social support as a way of coping with stress.
Women were much more likely to to use this method in 25 of these studies.
What is oxytocin?
A hormone produced by men and women.It promotes feeling of goodwill and affiliation with others.
It also helps the body recover more quickly from the physiological effects of a stressor.
Taylor found higher levels of oxytocin in women, meaning that they create a reduced stress response.
Evaluation of gender differences in stress management.
Strength: Tamres et.al carried out a meta analysis of 26 studies comparing the coping strategies for men and women. Women were significantly more likely to use social support than men.
Limitations: There is no clear distinction between coping strategies.- In Petersons study there were much more similarities than differences. Man and women used coping strategies that couldn’t be categorised to either problem or emotion focused.
