Sex Differences in Coping Behavior: A Meta-Analytic Review and an Examination of Relative Coping

Abstract

We used meta-analysis to examine recent studies of sex differences in coping. Women were more likely than men to engage in most coping strategies. The strongest effects showed that women were more likely to use strategies that involved verbal expressions to others or the self—to seek emotional support, ruminate about problems, and use positive self-talk. These sex differences were consistent across studies, supporting a dispositional level hypothesis. Other sex differences were dependent on the nature of the stressor, supporting role constraint theory. We also examined whether stressor appraisal (i.e., women's tendencies to appraise stressors as more severe) accountedfor sex differences in coping. We found some support for this idea. To circumvent this issue, we provide some data on relative coping. These data demonstrate that sex differences in relative coping are more in line with our intuitions about the differences in the ways men and women cope with distress.

Coping Styles as Mediator of Sexual Orientation-Related Health Differences

“…Separate from the kind and intensity of the stressors is the appraisal of stressors. Just as there are gender differences in stressor appraisalwomen usually appraise stressors as more serious then men (Tamres et al, 2002)-there might also be sexual orientation-related differences in the appraisal of specific stressors. Further research should explore this.…”

“…The actual relationship between gender and coping style does, however, seem to be more complex and should also acknowledge the social roles both genders are in (Rosario, Shinn, Morch, & Carol, 1988;Sigmon et al, 1995). Furthermore, gender also seems to affect whether specific coping styles have positive or negative health effects (Endler & Parker, 1994;Higgins & Endler, 1995;Hobfoll, Dunahoo, Ben-Porath, & Monnier, 1994;Recklitis & Noam, 1999;Tamres, Janicki, & Helgeson, 2002). Higgins and Endler (1995), for instance, showed that task-oriented coping was negatively related to distress for men but not for women.…”

Socialinės paramos siekimas susidūrus su sunkumais: ar vyrai taiko šią įveiką?

“…Šio tyrimo kiekybinių duomenų analizės rezultatai atitinka kitų tyrimų rezultatus, kurie rodo didesnį moterų polinkį taikyti įvairias įveikas (Tamres et al, 2002). Taip pat galime matyti, kad moterys dažniau nei vyrai ieško socialinės paramos, o vyrai sunkumus stengiasi įveikti patys, be kitų pagalbos.…”

“…Taip pat galime matyti, kad moterys dažniau nei vyrai ieško socialinės paramos, o vyrai sunkumus stengiasi įveikti patys, be kitų pagalbos. Tai sutampa su kitų tyrimų rezultatais (Tamres et al, 2002;Möller-Leimkühler, 2002).…”

“…Taikomų įveikų lyčių skirtumai gali būti tiek dėl lyčių biologinių predispozicijų, tiek dėl socializacijos įtakos, kai moterys yra labiau skatinamos kreiptis pagalbos, o vyrų toks elgesys suprantamas kaip nevyriškas (Möller-Leimkühler, 2002;Tamres et al, 2002). Gali būti, kad ir socialinė aplinka yra labiau linkusi suteikti emocinę paramą moterims nei vyrams, todėl moterims tiesiog yra lengviau taikyti šią įveiką (Tamres et al, 2002).…”