The Role of Gender in Worry and Efforts to Cope during Stressful Waiting Periods

Abstract

Waiting for personally significant news is a near-universal experience, but people differ in how they cope with these acute moments of uncertainty. The present study examined whether selfidentified men and women differ reliably in how they experience and cope with uncertain waiting periods, given societal pressures toward (for men) or against (for women) emotional experiences that may be relevant in these moments. Across 20 U.S. studies in field and laboratory settings (total n = 4,714), we examined gender differences in worry and use of coping strategies during various waiting periods. We then explored whether gender moderated links between worry and use of coping strategies to determine whether gender meaningfully shapes the coping process or if worriers require a larger toolbox of coping strategies, regardless of their gender. Mini meta-analyses across our studies confirmed that women reported greater worry and greater use of coping strategies than did men. However, the relationships between gender and coping largely disappeared after controlling for worry, and gender did not consistently or strongly moderate the link between worry and coping. These findings suggest that despite apparent gender differences in the experience of stressful uncertainty, worry is a far more potent predictor of coping than is gender.

Worry during the initial height of the COVID-19 crisis in an Italian sample

“…Regarding gender, women showed higher worry than men. These results were consistent with prior research that women were more prone to experience and express fear-based emotions, such as worry (Moccia et al, 2020;Sweeny et al, 2019). However, both the associations between age and gender with worry were trivial.…”

“…Finally, in reference to the association between worry and gender, Gould and Edelstein (2010) demonstrated that young women were more often worried compared to young men due to having less control over the external signs of emotion (Gould & Edelstein, 2010). Accordingly, Sweeny, Kwan, and Falkenstein (2019) highlighted that women both experience and express fear-based emotions (such as worry) more than men do (Sweeny, Kwan, & Falkenstein, 2019). Moccia et al (2020) evidenced that female gender was a relevant biological factor of vulnerability to psychosocial distress due to genetic, hormonal, and socio-cultural aspects (Moccia et al, 2020).…”

Repetitive Negative Thinking Processes Account for Gender Differences in Depression and Anxiety During Adolescence

“…Several studies have also shown that girls report higher levels of anxiety than boys during adolescence (Beesdo-Baum & Knappe, 2012 ; McCauley et al, 2017 ; McLaughlin & King, 2015 ; Stapinski et al, 2015 ) and that they are more likely than boys to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders (McCauley et al, 2017 ). Similarly, some studies show that girls report higher levels of worry than boys during adolescence (Muris et al, 2004 ; Sweeny et al, 2019 ), suggesting that this form of RNT might also be accounting for gender differences in anxiety problems during adolescence.…”

Can Senior Travelers Save Japanese Hot Springs? A Psychographic Segmentation of Visitors and Their Intention to Visit Onsen Establishments during COVID-19

“…As for sex differences, there was a slightly higher number of women in Cluster 3, the segment of "Concerned Seniors." The sex differences such as increased worry among women and different behavior patterns were, however, not significantly reported in the past [39][40][41][42][43][44].…”

“…In their studies on aging and development, Basevitz et al [36] and Wilson et al [37] suggested that with increasing age, older individuals exhibit a lower propensity to worry. Finally, different travel behaviors and levels of satisfaction have been reported between genders [38][39][40] and during times of distress [41][42][43], which is also a point of interest in this study.…”