Gender Differences in Loneliness

I found this interesting.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3794995

J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986 Nov;51(5):1069-74.

Gender differences in predicting loneliness from social network characteristics.

Stokes J, Levin I.

Abstract

In two studies we examined gender differences in predicting loneliness from measures of social network structure and a measure of perceived social support. The results showed that social network characteristics, especially density, were consistently better predictors of perceived loneliness for men than for women. Study 1 used the traditional measure of network density in which the number of relationships among network members was determined. Study 2 used a newly developed index of density that assessed the extent of closeness of relationships between pairs of network members. Uniformly, male subjects with more highly interconnected, cohesive sets of friends reported themselves to be less lonely, whereas density had little relation to loneliness in female subjects. These results are discussed as possibly indicating that men and women use different standards in evaluating whether they are lonely. It is suggested that men may use more group-oriented criteria in evaluating loneliness, whereas women focus more on the qualities of dyadic relationships.

Working Out

Is there a gender-based difference when it comes to working out?  Guys like to pump iron and admire themselves in the mirror as they do it.  Gals like to do classes and like to workout in groups.  Okay, maybe that is a stereotypical assessment of the differences.  Certainly I have seen women working out alone and pumping iron to rival a man.  Certainly I have seen men in classes.  I've seen both genders watching themselves in the mirror and both running away from the mirror.  So I guess it's hard to say for sure.  I know I like to workout alone and I avoid the mirrors as much as possible.  I'm not big into classes.  I don't like to sweat, but certainly I do sweat.  I've seen plenty of sweat with both genders.  And while I think many individuals work out so they can look better, I do think many of us work out to stay healthy.  I know I'm only going to look so good, probably never that good.  My drive is definitely being healthier.  What drives you to exercise?  It'd be interesting to hear if there are any gender differences with this.  Please feel free to chime in!


http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/his-hers-fitness

His and Hers Fitness

When it comes to working out, men and women are from different planets

By Carol Sorgen
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

His idea of getting in shape is pumping iron -- the more, the better. She'd rather pull out the yoga mat.

Whose idea of fitness is better?

The experts say there's no one-size-fits-all answer, but each sex could learn something from the other.

Vive La Difference

Motivation, the experts say, is one major fitness difference between the sexes.

Often, "men work out because they like to be bigger," says Vincent Perez, PT, director of sports therapy at Columbia University Medical Center Eastside in New York. "Pecs, biceps, quads ? men are after bulk."

"Guys have an agenda," adds Pamela Peeke, MD, author of Body-for-LIFE for Women: A Woman's Plan for Physical and Mental Transformation."They have a specific goal, and there's always a number involved." She calls this the "Home Depot" approach to working out: "They have a blueprint and they just want to get it done."

For many men, "working out is a sport, and they do it because it's fun, it's competitive, and it's something that they've always done," says Lori Incledon, author of Strength Training for Women. "For women, fitness is a superficial issue. They do it because it will help them look better."

Men like to look like they've been working out, says Peeke, "the sweatier the better. When was the last time you heard a woman say she wanted to sweat?"

Often, she says, "women think everyone else is looking at them so they're afraid to put on workout clothes or get out there in public with their cellulite jiggling. Do men care what they look like when they're working out? Of course not!"

One thing men and women have in common, according to Incledon: They tend to overlook the health benefits of exercise.

"Very rarely does anyone think about fitness like they should, which is just to stay healthy," says Incledon.

Mars vs. Venus Workouts

Once they get past their initial reluctance, women tend to have a balanced approach to fitness, says Perez. Their workouts are more likely to include a mix of cardio, strength training, and mind-body practices such as yoga or tai chi.

They're also more likely to seek advice, he says, whether from a personal trainer or by enrolling in group classes.

"As a man, I hate to say this, but women take instruction better," says Perez. "Men are afraid of making a fool of themselves."

"Most men prefer athletic-based activities that don't require dance or overt coordination," agrees Grace De Simone, a spokesperson for Gold's Gym International. "They prefer activities that they can call on from their past, like sports. Women enjoy dance-based activities with toning and flexibility."

Women may be more apt to take part in group activities because they're interested in the social aspects of working out and because they feel more comfortable in a gym when they're with other people, says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise.

"Finally it's Friday!"

http://www.lovethispic.com/image/115968/finally-friday

Father/Daughter and Mother/Son

My mother and I were talking today about the typical and strong bond between fathers and daughters and between mothers and sons.  This is not at all to say that mothers don't adore their daughters or that fathers are not bonded with their sons.  But there is something uncanny about this tendency, and it seems to exist fairly universally  (at least in our culture).  I've seen it many, many times.  Way more often than not, there seems to be some sort of extra special connection between a parent of one gender and a child of the opposite gender.  It makes me wonder about how this works (or does not work) in families with homosexual parents.  Of the parents and children that I have witnessed over the years and seen this bond in practice, I have no idea which involved homosexuals and which involved heterosexual ones.  They seemed to all be heterosexual since the parenting couple were of opposite genders.  So assuming they were all likely heterosexual couples, I have no information on how this would work with homosexual couples.  But I do wonder how that might work.  Would there be a special bond between same gendered children?  It seems more likely that there would be.  I have not heard of such a study being done, but I do think it would be interesting to see.  If there is a special bond between homosexual parents and their same gendered child, it would seem that the bonding is a function of the gender.  The more I think about it, the more interesting this becomes.

Has anyone out there had any experience with homosexual couples and their interactions with their children of both genders?  I would be very interested in hearing about it and seeing if we can figure out what happens and how this works, or if it exists at all for homosexual couples.  I invite any serious comments on this!  Thank you!

Okay, I'll tell you why I don't like Skyler.  She's a pushy, controlling, manipulative bitch, plain and simple.  I really don't believe I feel that way because she is a strong woman.  I have known strong women in my life, and I do not have a static response to them where I automatically think of them in such a negative light.  In fact, there are many strong women I know, and for many of them I have developed a strong sense of respect.  But Skyler?  She was pushy and controlling from the beginning, and as things went along, she became increasingly so.

And yeah, Walter is awesome, in spite of making some absolutely horrible decisions and for getting involved in such a horrible situation in the first place.  I do find it upsetting that I find myself always backing Walt, even though he's involved in such terrible things.  But there is just something about that guy.  He is the ultimate anti-hero for sure.

Why Do Many "Breaking Bad" Fans Love Walter White But Hate Skyler?

http://bitchmagazine.org/post/why-do-many-breaking-bad-fans-love-walter-white-but-hate-skyler

...

Though he's the classic example of an anti-hero, Walt initially entered the ever-thrilling field of meth production in a desperate effort to provide economic security for his wife, Skyler, son, and daughter-to-be. That noble goal is lost, as he spirals into violence and his "bullshit rationales." Despite his corrupt moral compass, viewers continue to root for Walt and there's a latent feeling that the audience will revolt if he doesn't survive the show's finale. Meanwhile, among many "Breaking Bad" fans, there's no love lost (to put it mildly) for his wife Skyler. Actress Anna Gunn even wrote an op-ed in the New York Times recently talking about the hatred of her character.

"My character, to judge from the popularity of Web sites and Facebook pages devoted to hating her, has become a flash point for many people's feelings about strong, nonsubmissive, ill-treated women," writes Gunn. 

...

Multitasking: Function of Gender or of Age?

I have seen comments like this before as I've browsed the internet for gender-related stories to talk about for this blog.  I find this one to be a little hard to swallow, sometimes.  If you think about it, generally women are the caregivers at home, though it seems that this is leveling out a bit as we progress through this century.  But assuming they are generally the caregivers at home, it would seem to follow that they would be better at multitasking.  Taking care of children and a household does provide a high level of flexible multitasking, and that seems to increase exponentially as the number of kids increases, I'm sure.  So perhaps that has given women the edge in this ability.  It will be interesting to see what happens over time with this sort of thing.  It seems that more and more males are becoming the family caregiver, if the responsibilities are not shared by both genders in the family unit.  So probably over time the genders will equalize in the ability to multitask.

The way in which I feel this discrepancy is hard to swallow is in the area of technology.  That seems to me to be more a function of age than of gender.  The younger generations seem to be hardwired to handle technology right out of the womb.  But older generations, mine included, just don't seem to have the same knack for technology that the younger ones do.  And there seems to be something innately multitasking in nature about technology these days.  We can do some much so quickly and sometimes even simultaneously.  Sometimes that's a lot for someone from the pencil and paper era to cope with!  It will be interesting to see how this changes and develops over time and advancement.  Stay tuned!  :)


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/women-better-than-men-multitasking-study-finds_n_4175470.html

Women Are Better Multitaskers Than Men, Study Finds

Posted: 10/29/2013 5:59 pm EDT Updated: 10/29/2013 5:59 pm EDT

Great Cartoon

http://smartloving.org/gender-differences-tolerated-or-celebrated/

Door Open, Door Closed

I had an interesting talk with my mom today.  She had been at a child's birthday party today.  Most of the activity for the party was outside, but occasionally people would go inside.  My mom and some of the guests were noticing that the girls were careful to shut the door when they came inside or went outside, but the boys did not bother to close the door.  My mom and the guests noted this and started observing this through the party, and this gender difference seemed to hold up.  My mother and I interpreted this as the boys being all set to conquer whatever activity with which they were about to engage, while the girls were apparently being more mindful of their surroundings and how their actions might impact them.  But it was very interesting to hear about this seemingly consistent difference in the children's genders.

Gender Differences with "Empty Nest Syndrome"

"Empty Nest Syndrome" is tough on guys as well as girls.

It's not only women who dread an empty nest... A fascinating new book uncovers one of the last taboos among men

By CELIA DODD
CREATED: 16:51 EST, 20 July 2011

...

As fathers become more involved with the care of their children, they are increasingly likely to feel the pain of them leaving.

But where many women have a support network of friends and family, men are often in a lonelier position. They also find it harder to open up about their feelings.

...

from:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2016992/Its-women-dread-nest--A-fascinating-new-book-uncovers-taboos-men.html

Emotional Females

Women are empathetic nurturers and men are rational problem solvers.  Is that a stereotype or a fact?  Perhaps it's just a tendency.

Gender Gap

Are women really more emotional than men?

Answered by Bambi Turner and Curiosity

...

The real difference in emotion between the sexes might lie in emotional intelligence rather than feelings of anger, sadness or depression. Scientists consistently find that women possess higher levels of emotional intelligence than men, characterized by a sense of empathy and understanding of others' emotions. In 1995, researchers in Scandinavia discovered that women were better equipped to not only detect, but also mirror, the emotions of others [source:Simon-Thomas]. A similar study in 2003 found that women identified and truly experienced the emotions of others, demonstrating superior levels of empathy to those exhibited by men.

Instead of experiencing the emotions of others, the men in these studies simply recognized these emotions, and then started searching for solutions. The rational parts of their brains trumped emotion, with men switching into problem-solving mode as the women empathized.

...

http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/are-women-more-emotional-men

Definitions Based On Gender

This is funny!  Seems pretty accurate!  Do you agree?




http://www.unmotivating.com/the-ultimate-battle-men-vs-women-hilarious/

Mid Life Crisis - Any Differences Between Men and Women?

They say that men also have a monthly cycle of sorts, and they men are also affected by hormones.  I don't know if that is really true, but certainly women seem to be affected.  I found this article that addresses hormonal differences and so forth, really for men, but it touches on some differences between men and women.  They do a "top 10" type of list, which I inverted and pasted in below.  I also pasted in my particular favorite, which happened to be the number 1 spot.  Women seem to hit a midlife crisis in their 40s, but according to this piece, men wait until they are in their 50s.

I wonder, just because you want a change in your life, and that happens to come in your 40s or 50s, why that is considered to be a midlife crisis?  It really doesn't have to be a "crisis", does it?  I know plenty of people who have been enduring such a "crisis" for years, many of whom are well younger than their 40s, and many in their 60s and beyond.  Obviously the happier you are in your life, the less likely you are to have such a "crisis".  So isn't it really more a function of happiness as opposed to hormones and how many years you have lived?  Perhaps it is merely coincidental.  Perhaps it's more of a "chicken and the egg" situation.  At any rate, my midlife crisis has been going on for 10 plus years, so I'm not sure what that means!





The MidLife Crisis has Hormonal Roots - For women, the loss of androgens (male hormones) begins surprisingly early -- before age 40 -- and results in fatigue, loss of bone mass and decreased sexual desire [source: Boston University School of Medicine]. For men, this gradual change usually peaks at age 50 and ushers in everything from male-pattern baldness to osteoporosis, which is a loss of bone density [source: Shmerling]. A reduction in androgens, which includes testosterone, can have emotional impacts as well. While recent research refutes the fact that male hormones make men act more aggressively, there is one stereotype that seems to hold true: The midlife crisis. About the time a man reaches age 50, he may become bored with his career, marital status or the American dream in general, but this emotional reaction has physiological roots [source: Fisch]. Rather than seeking a boost from a new sports car, most men would be better served by a simple blood test. That's because it can uncover potentially low testosterone levels, which may be the source of depression or dissatisfaction.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/sexual-health/male-reproductive-system/10-things-about-male-hormones.htm#page=10


http://health.howstuffworks.com/sexual-health/male-reproductive-system/10-things-about-male-hormones.htm

10 Things Women Should Know about Male Hormones

by Laurie L. Dove

Women hear a lot about hormones. From the time we hit puberty to well past menopause, there's a nearly constant undercurrent of information and implication (we're referring to all those PMS jokes) that doggedly follow our every physiological move. Men, however, are often squarely in the dark when it comes to knowing exactly what their own chemical compounds are doing -- or not doing -- while coursing through their veins.

The truth is, male and female hormones are very much alike; in some cases, estrogen and testosterone compounds are set apart by a single atom. From moods to muscles, men are just as affected by hormones as we are. And, keeping male hormones in the proper balance offers a lot of benefits. Not only does the right amount of testosterone chase away dour attitudes, but it also translates into better sexual performance, improved fitness and increased overall health. Wondering if your guy is on the right track? We've got 10 things you should know,

...

1)  The MidLife Crisis has Hormonal Roots 

2)  Men have Monthly Cycles

3)  Testosterone Fuels Weight Loss

4)  Men Experience "Menopause" (andropause)

5)  Male Hormones can Increase Cancer Risk

6)  Too Much Testosterone is Bad for Both Sexes

7)  Thyroid Hormones Decline with Age

8)  Testosterone Isn't Just for Men

9)  You Can't Blame Everything on Testosterone

10) Balance is Crucial

Guys Don't Like Drama

I was told today that guys don't like drama.  It's apparently the women who like drama, and the men do not.  Apparently the men just want to get through it quickly and just move on, and the women want to talk about it and analyze it.  I've seen this go both ways myself.  How about you?  Do you agree that men tend to just get through it all quickly and move on while women dwell and discuss?  What have your experiences been?

Men Want The Physical, Women The Emotional

I find this fascinating.  But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.  It certainly does seem that men think of things in a physical sense whereas females think of things in an emotional sense.


http://www.sheknows.com/love-and-sex/articles/1003581/the-male-and-female-brain-in-a-relationship

Deconstructing the male vs. female brain in a relationship

Jul 01, 2013

 

by Ariane Page 

...

Research tells us that women have a receptive tendency on the physical level but are active on the emotional level, whereas men are active on a physical level. So, when men "receive" emotions, their reaction is physical, not emotional. And vice versa: When women receive a physical connection, their reaction tends to be emotional.

In general, men naturally have a tendency to use structures associated with what we label the motor brain. Therefore, when a man is faced with emotions, he would rather find solace in the physical world. He'd rather chop wood, go for a run, watch sports, make love or even fight physically than talk about how he feels.

A woman, expressing her emotions through structures associated with what we label the mammalian brain, will talk about them, cry or laugh, and easily analyze them. Needless to say, women would like men to react like them and talk about love and emotions, while men would like women to react like them and make love.

...

Wow

Stasi: Robin Williams’ $30M alimony to ex-wives contributed to his death

Robin Williams' paid more than $30M in alimony to his ex-wives, Valerie Velardi and Marsha Garces. Indie Chicks will be marching around New York with typical negative cover lines from women’s mags pinned to their clothes Monday.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Sunday, August 17, 2014, 1:52 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/stasi-robin-williams-30m-alimony-ex-wives-contributed-death-article-1.1906241#ixzz3AfQW3onM

Did alimony kill Robin Williams?

At least in part it sure did. Paying out over $30 million to ex-wives who were allowed to attach themselves to Williams’ bank account like comatose patients on feeding tubes would be enough to make Gandhi angry and depressed.

While states are finally, gradually catching up to the modern age in terms of alimony (now they call it “maintenance” — as in “high maintenance”) the practice of men paying women because they once were married is not just primitive but, yes, sexist.

Yeah, go ahead, call me anti-feminist, call me whatever you want, but the truth is alimony (which is different from child support and fair distribution of assets acquired during the marriage) doesn’t mean the non-working spouse is entitled to live as high as the Kardashians. It’s that concept that is fundamentally anti-feminist.

Differences in How Men and Women Deal with Divorce

It's amazing to me how differently the genders handle a variety of different things.  Here is another area where differences are noted.  Divorce is an ugly and messy thing, no question about it.  Apparently males handle it better at the beginning and females better at the end.  I would think child support might have something to do with that, at least where the fathers are the ones paying the mothers child support, which is the thing I seem to hear most commonly.  Also certainly there must be a difference based on who wanted the divorce in the first place.  You would have to account for that variable when looking at the differences that seem to be based on gender.

I know of situations where the female started the divorce (and in so presumably "handled it" better than the man did, since it was likely a situation the man did not want), and the reverse.  And I've seen situations where the woman ended up better, and some where the man did.  I have yet to notice any real significant gender difference, although I have not conducted any true study of this.

What has your experience been?  Have you noticed gender differences in how divorce is handled?  There is one thing I have always noticed.  It is always a horrible, messy, painful thing.  Sometimes people are able to come out of it okay and are able to be civil.  Sometimes they can't.  I'm not sure it's a factor of gender.  It's as if the gender factor has morphed into a nullified state, and the differences that exist are based on variables outside of the morphed entity.  Perhaps this is one situation where there are not so many differences in how men and women handle it at all.


http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J087v14n03_03#.U-9iGfldUlc

"Gender Differences in Divorce Adjustment"

Gender differences in divorce adjustment were inves- tigated. It was concluded that there is sufficient evidence to demon- strate that males report less stress prior to the decision to divorce than do females, and that females fare better after separation and divorce than do males. It is argued that measures of divorce adjust- ment are either direct or indirect measures of self-esteem, and that gender differences in self-esteem exist prior to divorce and therefore account for gender differences in adjustment after divorce. It is fur- ther suggested that gender differences in the moderators of divorce adjustment (i.e., in attachment, initiation of divorce, and degree of social support) are related to gender roles and serve to reinforce gender differences in adjustment to divorce.



http://www.divorce-lawyer-source.com/faq/emotional/who-initiates-divorce-men-or-women.html

Who initiates the divorce more often, the wife or the husband?

One might think that 50 percent of the time, a divorce action is filed by the husband, and the other 50 percent of the time it’s the wife who begins the proceedings — or that maybe there’s a small percentage to subtract for the divorces that are somehow filed jointly by spouses who agree that they should part.

It also seems plausible that since the wife’s standard of living often declines after a divorce, women would be less likely to file a divorce action. Conversely, because men more often engage in adultery, it may seem that wives would be more likely to seek a divorce based on their husbands’ conduct.

The reporting of divorce statistics isn’t as complete as, say, the census data collected in the U.S. every ten years. However, several sources have arrived at pretty much the same answer to the question, “who initiates a divorce more often, men or women?”

Two-Thirds of the Time
It’s the wife who files for divorce in about two-thirds of divorce cases, at least among couples who have children. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the proportion has changed slightly over the years; for example, in 1975, approximately 72 percent of the divorces in the U.S. were filed by women, whereas by 1988, only about 65 percent were filed by women.

...

Politeness in Men vs Women

Interesting concept . . . to define politeness as a social function, which essentially plays into what seems to be a huge motivation for women, should assure that women would be considered generally more polite than men.  Perhaps this should be considered in a different context so that a more level playing field is established.



http://aggslanguage.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/janet-holmes-politeness-in-mens-and-womens-conversation/

Holmes bases her research on Brown and Levinson’s idea of positive and negative face. She says that women use more positively orientated politeness and that men use more negatively orientated politeness.

Holmes suggests the reason for this is that women and men have different perceptions of what language is used for;

• Men use language as a tool to give and obtain information ( also referred to as the referential function of language )
• Women use language as a means of keeping in touch ( also known as the social function )
•  

As Holmes includes politeness, which is defined as “an expression of concern for the feelings of others”, with the social function, it seems that women are more polite then men.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255

Given the recent focus on depression after the tragic death of Robin Williams, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the differences between men and women in depression.  But however depression impacts behaviorally, it is always important to get help.  Please see below for more information.

If you're feeling suicidal...

When you’re feeling depressed or suicidal, problems don’t seem temporary—they seem overwhelming and permanent. But with time, you will feel better, especially if you reach out for help.

Read Helpguide’s Suicide Prevention articles or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

For help outside the U.S., visit Befrienders Worldwide.

Differences between male and female depression
Women tend to:	Men tend to:
Blame themselves	Blame others
Feel sad, apathetic, and worthless	Feel angry, irritable, and ego inflated
Feel anxious and scared	Feel suspicious and guarded
Avoid conflicts at all costs	Create conflicts
Feel slowed down and nervous	Feel restless and agitated
Have trouble setting boundaries	Need to feel in control at all costs
Find it easy to talk about self-doubt and despair	Find it “weak” to admit self-doubt or despair
Use food, friends, and "love" to self-medicate	Use alcohol, TV, sports, and sex to self-medicate
Adapted from: Male Menopause by Jed Diamond

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_men_male.htm

Fight or Flight or Make Friends

I was reading this article tonight, and I was interested in the different reactions exhibited in a high-stress situation that was based on gender.  The article mentions the "fight-or-flight" reaction that we all know about.  Apparently men tend to exhibit this reaction.  And interestingly, when Walter Cannon developed the categorization of "flight-or-flight", and when others conducted studies about it, the research was conducted using primarily male test subjects.  So the researchers got their information from the male test subjects and then generalized it to the entire population.  They were using data found by studying men and telling both men and women that this is the way you react.  Then as it turns out, women do not tend to act that way in the face of stress.  They have a very different reaction.  So if those researchers back in Cannon's day and beyond had used a more representative sample of test subjects, certainly more than just the "fight-or-flight" reaction would have been studied and discussed.

Interestingly enough, but perhaps not surprising, women tend to react in a much different manner.  While men tend to either run or fight, women try to befriend you and possibly talk you out of the situation.  The article goes into more detail about that, so I would encourage you to check it out if you are interested.


http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/games-primates-play/201203/gender-differences-in-responses-stress-it-boils-down-single-gene

Gender Differences in Responses to Stress: It Boils Down to a Single Gene

Fight-or-Flight vs Tend-and-Befriend

Published on March 17, 2012 by Dario Maestripieri, Ph.D. in Games Primates Play

You are walking alone in a dark alley late at night when, all of a sudden, you feel the barrel of a gun pressed to the back of your neck and hear a voice saying: "Give me your wallet or I will kill you." What do you do? The answer is: it depends on whether you are a man or a woman. If you are a man, you either run away as quick as you can or you turn around and punch the guy in the face. If you are a woman, you try to talk yourself out of the situation: "Are you sure you want to do this?" you ask the robber, or "If you put the gun away, we can talk about the situation and I will see what I can do to help you."

According to some psychologists, there is basic difference in the way men and women respond to social stress: for men, it's either "fight or flight" while for women it's "tend and befriend." Physiologist Walter Cannon - a pioneer of research on stress - argued in the 1930s that "fight-or-flight" is a universal physiological response to stress shown not only by all humans, but by animals as well.  This response is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system - the part of our nervous system that deals with automatic functions such as breathing. Under stress, this system is activated, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, hastening breathing, and otherwise readying you to face down your enemy or to run. Thousands of studies inspired by Cannon described and documented this response in a variety of species and situations. The vast majority of these studies, however, were conducted with males.

...

Stressed? Women Talk, Men Shut Up

We all have stress in our lives.  It may all be relative, but it definitely has an impact on all of us.  As we have heard before, women tend to talk about the fact that they are stressed more than men do.  It isn't necessarily that they are more stressed.  They are just more willing to talk about it.  So it seems the main gender difference is the willingness (or unwillingness) to communicate about the fact that we're stressed.  I find it concerning that men are less willing to talk about their stress.  Certainly bottling that feeling up cannot be good for anyone, least of all the man enduring the stress.  The release one would get from actually expressing one's feelings about being stressed has to be in some way therapeutic.  Does this mean that women cope better with stress than men?  Well, it's hard to say with this data.  It could be that men do not need to express their feelings, but women do.  I'll have to see if I can find any studies on that.  I think that would be interesting.

How do you handle stress in your life?  Do you express it or bottle it up?  Does that correspond with this study, that women express and men keep it in?  Does it change for you based on the situation or company or even environment?  Please feel free to share!



http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2010/gender-stress.aspx

...

• Women are more likely than men (28 percent vs. 20 percent) to report having a great deal of stress (8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale).
• Almost half of all women (49 percent) surveyed said their stress has increased over the past five years, compared to four in 10 (39 percent) men.
• Women are more likely to report that money (79 percent compared with 73 percent of men) and the economy (68 percent compared with 61 percent of men) are sources of stress while men are far more likely to cite that work is a source of stress (76 percent compared with 65 percent of women).
• Women are more likely to report physical and emotional symptoms of stress than men, such as having had a headache (41 percent vs. 30 percent), having felt as though they could cry (44 percent vs. 15 percent), or having had an upset stomach or indigestion (32 percent vs. 21 percent) in the past month.

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Male vs Female Sports Fans

I am frequently amazed by how female fans are ignored by the big sports organizations.  They cater to males so much.  It seems they often assume that women don't like sports.  They are so wrong.

I have to say that things are changing very slowly, but it is definitely a lot better than when I was a kid.  But it seems that there is quite a long way to go.  It's not news, people.  Women love sports, too.

I found this old commentary that addresses this in part.  A couple of things in it were of interest to me.  One, is that boys and men watch a lot of sports.  I guess that isn't truly surprising, but to see it quantified like this makes me realize how much more men watch than women.  The second item was about women not getting as upset when their team loses or as jubilant as when their team wins.  Wow, that is totally not my experience.  I know a lot of women who get just as worked up as the men.  Maybe they move on because they have other things to do besides watch sports, but seriously, I think they get just as worked up as the men do.

How do you react when your favorite team wins or loses?



http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7379853/espn-tries-solve-equation-women-sports-fans

COMMENTARY

Letter of intent

With its 'W' initiative, ESPN tries to solve the equation of serving women sports fans

Originally Published: December 22, 2011

By Kelly McBride | Poynter Review Project

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Forty years after the passage of Title IX, the federal law that required schools to create equal sports opportunities for girls, the worldwide leader in sports has discovered that women might be interested? Yet the fact that no obvious competitors are trying to beat ESPN to this market suggests the entire sports media world is just as far behind the times.

Women make up just under half of ESPN's overall viewers, but they spend much less time actually watching sports on TV, said Kelly Johnson, ESPN director of media and promotion research. For example, the average man age 35-49 spends 227 hours a year watching sports on television. The average woman the same age spends just 92 hours a year watching sports on TV.

Yet the No. 3 television show this past January for women ages 18-49 was NBC's "Sunday Night Football," according to Nielsen, behind "Dancing With the Stars" and "Grey's Anatomy." Clearly there is a great opportunity for the network to grow its audience.
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Here's what ESPN's research shows:

• Women have a different relationship to sports than men do. For men, understanding and watching sports validates their status as men. For women, the reverse is true: In spite of how much they know, women must constantly prove they are real sports fans.

• Men and women differ in the sports information they like to consume. Men look for nitty-gritty statistics and past performance history. Women like basic statistics and personal narratives.

• Men are overjoyed when their teams win and devastated when they lose. Women are happy with wins and disappointed with losses, but move on quickly.

• Nearly half of all men between ages 18 and 34 consider themselves serious or super fans; yet only one in five women in that age range see themselves that way.

• Although women watch more TV, men watch three to four times the number of sports shows compared to women.

• Men and women are both big fans of the NFL. But women also really like figure skating and the Olympics. Men like NCAA football and the NBA more.

• Female fans don't necessarily want to watch women's sports. In fact, more men than women watch the WNBA and the women's college softball tournament.

This is merely a simplified sampling of facts gleaned from volumes of research ESPN has on the topic of fans and their habits.

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