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Sex differences in the time course of emotion
Marja Germans Gard1, Ann M Kring
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|May 23, 2007
Summary
Women exhibit more complex emotional responses than men, particularly to negative stimuli. Research shows women’s emotional reactivity and recovery from negative emotional pictures involve sustained engagement of the aversive motivational system.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Emotional Response Research
Background:
- Societal beliefs often portray women as more emotional than men.
- Scientific evidence suggests that sex differences in emotional experiences are nuanced.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in the engagement of approach and avoidance motivational systems underlying emotional responses.
- To compare immediate and recovery patterns of emotional responses between men and women.
Main Methods:
- Measured self-reported emotional experience and startle response magnitude.
- Utilized emotional stimuli designed to engage approach and avoidance systems.
- Assessed responses during stimulus presentation and post-stimulus recovery periods.
Main Results:
- Women reported greater experiential reactivity to negative emotional stimuli compared to men.
- Women scored higher on measures of aversive motivational system sensitivity.
- Women demonstrated sustained engagement of the aversive system during recovery from negative stimuli, unlike men.
Conclusions:
- Sex differences in emotional responding are complex and involve distinct motivational system engagement.
- Women show prolonged engagement of the aversive motivational system in response to negative emotional stimuli.
- Findings challenge simplistic views of sex differences in emotionality.
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