Suggests that sex differences in cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) in past research are a function of differences in cognitive appraisal of stressors as masculine or feminine tasks. In the present study, we examined the role of the gender relevance of the stressor as a mediator of sex differences in CVR. The CVR of male and female college students (n = 95) to the cold pressor test (CPT) was compared under masculine and gender-neutral instructions during an anticipation phase, a stressor phase, and a recovery phase. Men were expected to show greater CVR than women to the masculine CPT but not to the gender-neutral CPT. Results supported this prediction for systolic blood pressure reactivity and heart rate reactivity but not for diastolic blood pressure reactivity. The potential influence of sex differences in appraisal of situations on CVR and coronary heart disease is discussed.
The cognitive appraisal of threats and challenges to sterotypical feminine gender role coping behavior was defined as feminine gender role stress (FGRS). This article describes the development of a self-report measure of FGRS. Situations perceived as more stressful for women than for men wer categorized by factor analysis, yielding the following constellation of maladaptive stress responses particularly salient for women: (a) fear of unemotional relationships, (b) fear of being unattractive, (c) fear of victimization, (d) fear of behaving assertively, and (e) fear of not being nurturant. Women demonstrated significantly higher FGRS appraisal scores than men, and scores among women showed good 2-week test-retest reliability. The tendency to appraise situations on the FGRS scale as stressful was associated with the tendency to consider daily hassles stressful but was not related to self-perceived femininity in women. It was predicted that women who tend to exhibit the FGRS appraisal style would have more difficulty in coping with stressors related to depression. Supporting this hypothesis, women with higher FGRS scores reported greater depression than those with lower scores. The assessment of FGRS appraisal and coping style in women provides useful information for devising treatment strategies to improve women's health through promotion of adaptive coping.
IN March 1992 a pilot survey was undertaken to collect data on the views of Year 10 (14-15-year-old) secondary-school children in Manchester, to discover what motivates and what prevents them from taking part in sporting activities. They were also asked about which sports they preferred to do. Relationships between these variables and their self-esteem were examined. Motivation contained elements of intrinsic enjoyment and social participation. Exercise was not deliberately used to reduce stress, but its stress-reducing effects were clearly identified. Barriers to participation were both psychological and practical in nature. High levels of self-esteem were associated with few perceived barriers to participation. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings for health promotion and education are discussed. SURVEYS from within the UK and elsewhere have demonstrated that the levels of physical exercise and sporting activity among both primary-and secondaryschool children are typically low. A large proportion of individuals from these age ranges do not participate in sport on any regular basis' '. There is also the suggestion that teenagers who have been involved in sporting activity while at school are likely to stop this when they leave full-time education. Evidence in favour of the positive effects of regular exercise on physical health now seems unequivocal'. It is the basis for key elements in policies, at a national and international level, which aim to increase the levels of exercise in the adult population''&dquo; tl It has been shown that there are significant positive relationships between physical activity, physical fitness and mental health, with growing evidence that improvements in the fomer may lead to improvements in the latter. It is also widely recognised within clmcal psychology and allied disciplines that positive self-esteem is a major component of good mental health, both in adults and in children.There are a number of theoretical models for communicating information and advice about health-related behaviours, and the extent to which individuals accept and adhere to such advice 10. These models recognise the important relationships between satisfaction with such communications and the hkehhood that advice will be followed. They also emphasise the importance of identifying both the motivations to undertake the behaviour in question and any perceived barriers or counter-arguments to adopting the recommended behaviours.Examining the relationships between self-esteem, the motivation to undertake physical activity and the perception of barriers to doing so would provide useful information for health and educational professionals to use for creating strategies to increase the participation of young people in sporting activity. There do not appear to be any published data on this specific topic The present study was therefore undertaken among a sample of secondary-school children, with the aim of collecting data on the interrelationships between these three main areas: self-esteem, mot...
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