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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
Gender differences in the perception and utilization of social support: theoretical perspectives and an empirical
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
Abstract:
The authors contend that women are the more supportive, nurturing and affectively-connected sex. They argue that these gender differences result from socialization experiences which may be modified by social and occupational roles. Theoretical perspectives and research addressing this proposition are reviewed. Empirical data on support-eliciting and support-providing behaviors in a cohort of medical students are then provided to test their thesis. The data suggest that women have developed a greater sensitivity to the needs of themselves and others, leading to a greater capacity to provide support and a greater dependence upon social support for psychological well-being. Personality and developmental factors that may account for these differences are examined. The implications of these findings for gender differences in mental health are discussed.
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