ResearchersinthepsychologydepartmentattheUniversityofCaliforniaatLosAngeles(UCLA)havediscoveredamajordifferenceinthewaymenandwomenrespondtostress.Thisdifferencemayexplainwhymenaremorelikelytosufferfromstress-relateddisorders.

Untilnowpsychologicalresearchhasmaintainedthatbothmenandwomenhavethesame"fight-or-flight"reactiontostress.Inotherwordsindividualseitherreactwithaggressivebehaviorsuchasverbalorphysicalconflict("fight")ortheyreactbywithdrawingfromthestressfulsituation("flight").HowevertheUCLAresearchteamfoundthatmenandwomenhavequitedifferentbiologicalandbehavioralresponsestostress.Whilemenoftenreacttostressinthefight-or-flightresponsewomenoftenhaveanotherkindofreactionwhichcouldbecalled"tendandbefriend."Thatistheyoftenreacttostressfulconditionsbyprotectingandnurturingtheiryoung("tend")andbylookingforsocialcontactandsupportfromothers-especiallyotherfemales('befriend").

Scientistshavelongknownthatinthefight-or-flightreactiontostressanimportantroleisplayedbycertainhormones(激素)releasedbythebody.TheUCLAresearchteamsuggeststhatthefemaletend-or-befriendresponseisalsobasedonahormone.Thishormonecalledoxytocinhasbeenstudiedinthecontextofchildbirthbutnowitisbeingstudiedforitsroleintheresponseofbothmenandwomentostress.TheprincipalinvestigatorDr.ShelleyE.Taylorexplainedthat"animalsandpeoplewithhighlevelsofoxytocinarecalmermorerelaxedmoresocialandlessanxious."Whilemenalsosecrete(分泌）oxytocinitseffectsarereducedbymalehormones.

IntermsofeverydaybehaviortheUCLAstudyfoundthatwomenarefarmorelikelythanmentoseeksocialcontactwhentheyarefeelingstressed.Theymayphonerelativesorfriendsoraskdirectionsiftheyarelost.

Thestudyalsoshowedhowfathersandmothersrespondeddifferentlywhentheycamehometotheirfamilyafterastressfuldayatwork.Thetypicalfatherwantedtobeleftalonetoenjoysomepeaceandquiet.Foratypicalmothercopingwithabaddayatworkmeantfocusingherattentiononherchildrenandtheirneeds.

Thedifferencesinrespondingtostressmayexplainthefactthatwomenhavelo