Work by Shelley Taylor of UCLA shows that "fight or flight" is the typical response to stress in males, and naturally, the stress literature is predominantly studies of males by males.83 Things often differ in females. Showing that she can match the good old boys when it comes to snappy sound bites, Taylor framed the female stress response as being more about "tend and befriend"-caring for your young and seeking social affiliation. This fits with striking sex differences in stress management styles, and tend-and-befriend most likely reflects the female stress response involving a stronger component of oxytocin secretion.
( Robert M. Sapolsky )
[ Behave: The Biology of Humans ]
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