I thought this might be of some interest in light of recent conversations about biological differences between women and men.
Selma Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 11:40 PM Subject: Women, men and stress > UCLA Researchers Identify Key Biobebavioral Pattern Used By Women to > Manage Stress > > http://www.college.ucla.edu/stress.htm > Undated but from late 2001. > > Researchers at UCLA have identified a broad biological and behavioral > pattern that explains a key method used by women to cope with stress - and > at the same time highlights one of the most basic differences between > men's and women's behavior. > > This pattern, referred to by UCLA principal investigator Shelley E. Taylor > as "tend and befriend," shows that females of many species, including > humans, respond to stressful conditions by protecting and nurturing their > young (the "tend" response), and by seeking social contact and support > from others - especially other females (the "befriend" response). > > This "tend-and-befriend" pattern is a sharp contrast to the > "fight-or-flight" behavior that has long been considered the principal > method for coping with stress by both men and women. > > "For decades, psychological research maintained that both men and women > rely on fight or flight to cope with stress - meaning that when confronted > by stress, individuals either react with aggressive behavior, such as > verbal conflict and more drastic actions, or withdraw from the stressful > situation," said Taylor. > > "We found that men often react to stress with a fight-or-flight response," > Taylor said, "but women are more likely to manage their stress with a > tend-and-befriend response by nurturing their children or seeking social > contact, especially with other women." > > The UCLA study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the > Psychological Review of the American Psychological Association, based its > findings on analysis of hundreds of biological and behavioral studies of > response to stress by thousands of humans and animal subjects. > > "The tend-and-befriend method of coping with stress seems to be > characteristic of females in many species," Taylor said. > > Just as the fight-or-flight response is based on biological changes that > occur in response to stress, the UCLA researchers propose that the > tend-and-befriend pattern may have a biological basis. In particular, the > research team points to the hormone oxytocin as playing a large role in > the tend-and-befriend response, in conjunction with sex hormones and the > body's natural opioid system. > > "Oxytocin has been studied largely for its role in childbirth, but it is > also secreted in both men and women as a response to stress," she said. > "Animals and people with high levels of oxytocin are calmer, more relaxed, > more social and less anxious. In several animal species, oxytocin leads to > maternal behavior and to affiliation. > > "Men secrete oxytocin too, but the effects of oxytocin seem to be reduced > by male hormones, so oxytocin may have reduced effects on men's physiology > and behavior under stress. Oxytocin, along with other stress hormones, may > play a key factor in reducing females' response to stress." > > The UCLA study also found that women are far more likely than men to > "befriend" in response to stress - seeking social contact when they are > feeling stressed, with befriending methods ranging from talking on the > phone with relatives or friends, to such simple social contacts as asking > for directions when lost. > > "This difference in seeking social support during stressful periods is the > principal way men and women differ in their response to stress, and one of > the most basic differences in men's and women's behavior," Taylor said. > > The different ways that men and women respond to stress may also help > researchers understand why men are more vulnerable to the adverse health > effects of stress, according to Taylor. > > "Men are more likely than women to respond to stressful experiences by > developing certain stress-related disorders, including hypertension, > aggressive behavior, or abuse of alcohol or hard drugs," Taylor said. > "Because the tend-and-befriend regulatory system may, in some ways, > protect women against stress, this biobehavioral pattern may provide > insights into why women live an average of seven and a half years longer > than men." > > "The tend-and-befriend pattern exhibited by women probably evolved through > natural selection," Taylor said. "Thousands of generations ago, fleeing or > fighting in stressful situations was not a good option for a female who > was pregnant or taking care of offspring, and women who developed and > maintained social alliances were better able to care for multiple > offspring in stressful times. > > The "tending" pattern is especially apparent in research conducted by UCLA > psychologist Rena Repetti, who, in one of the studies analyzed in Taylor's > research, examined the differences between fathers' and mothers' behaviors > with their children after a stressful workday. > > "When the typical father in the study came home after a stressful day at > work, he responded to stress by wanting to be left alone, enjoying peace > and quiet away from the stress of the office; when office-related stress > was particularly acute, a typical response would be to react harshly or > create conflict with his wife or children," Taylor said. "When the typical > mother in the study came home from work bearing stress, she was more > likely to cope with her bad day by focusing her attention on nurturing her > children. > > How did biobehavioral differences in how men and women cope with stress > elude researchers until now? > > "Until five years ago, many research studies on stress focused on males - > either male rodents or human male participants in the laboratory," Taylor > said. "Women were largely excluded in stress research because many > researchers believed that monthly fluctuations in hormones created stress > responses that varied too widely to be considered statistically valid. > > "But since 1995, when the federal government mandated broad representation > of both men and women in agency-funded medically-relevant research grants, > the number of women represented in stress studies has increased > substantially. Researchers are now beginning to realize that men and women > use different coping mechanisms when dealing with stress." > > "This is the first effort to identify a new stress regulatory system since > the 1950s, and we are very excited about its ability to explain > stress-related behavior that has not fit in traditional approaches to > studying stress," Taylor said. "For example, people under stress, > especially women, often seek social support from others, but until now, we > haven't understood why or what the biological effects of support are. We > are much closer now." > > In addition to Taylor, the research team includes former UCLA > post-doctoral scholars Laura Cousino Klein (now an assistant professor of > biobehavioral health at Penn State University), Brian P. Lewis (now an > assistant professor at Syracuse), and Regan A.R. Gurung, (now an assistant > professor at the University of Wisconsin/Green Bay); and UCLA graduate > students Tara L. Gruenewald and John A. Updegraff. > > >
