The Psychology of Gender 4th Edition

510 Chapter 13

support differential vulnerability on the part

of females—especially in the case of interper-

sonal stressors. Studies of adolescents have

shown that females respond more negatively

than males to social stressors (Rudolph,

2009; Shih et al., 2006). A longitudinal study

of 11-year-olds showed that relationship

losses were associated with increases in de-

pression three years later for both males and

females but the associations were stronger

for females (Bakker et al., 2010). Even a study

of third graders showed that relationship

problems were associated with an increase in

of traumas and stressors rather than one sex

experiencing more trauma or stress than the

other. Women are more likely than men to

report stressful events that involve relation-

ships and actually occur to others. Although

both of these events are sometimes referred to

as relationship stressors, there is a difference.

In the first case, investigators are finding that

women are more likely to report problems

within relationships, such as conflicts, break-

ups, or losses. In the second case, research

is showing that women are more likely than

men to perceive stressful events that occur to

others as their own personal stressors. Further

investigate the distinction between these two

kinds of stressors with Do Gender 13.5.

Investigators have asked whether sex

differences in depression are due todiffer-

ential exposureto stressful events ordif-

ferential vulnerabilityto stressful events.

Differential exposure suggests that women

are more depressed than men because they

experience more of a certain kind of stress-

ful event. We discussed the idea that females

report more interpersonal stressors than

males. Some major stressors that women

experience more than men, such as poverty

and sexual abuse, are associated with de-

pression (Nolen-Hoeksema & Keita, 2003).

Controlling for these events reduces the sex

difference in depression, but does not elimi-

nate it (Kessler, 2000). In fact, if all the stress-

ful events were statistically controlled (not

just the ones that affect women more than

men), the sex difference in depression would

be unchanged. Thus women are not more

depressed than men because they simply ex-

perience more stressful events—or more of a

certain kind of stressor.

Differential vulnerability implies that

certain stressful events are more strongly as-

sociated with distress among women than

men. There is a great deal of evidence to

DO GENDER 13.5

Sex Differences in

Stressful Life Events

Develop a list of stressful life events that

are relevant to the population you are sam-

pling. Classify these events into categories,

such as personal events and relationship

events. Have 10 women and 10 men:

1. Indicate if the event occurred to
   them in the previous year.


2. If the event occurred, have them
   rate how much the event affected
   them (none, a little bit, a lot).


3. Indicate if the event happened
   to someone they know in the
   previous year.


4. If the event occurred to someone
   else, rate how much the event
   personally affected them (none,
   a little bit, a lot).
   Are there sex differences in exposure
   to different kinds of life events? Are there
   sex differences in exposure to events that
   occur to others? Are there sex differences
   in the magnitude of response to (impact
   of) personal events? Others’ events?

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