Gender Role, Coping Styles, and Expectations in Coping Outcomes: Implications for Depression

Abstract

In order to investigate gender role differences in coping and expectancies within a diathesis-stress framework, 106 undergraduate students were assessed on their gender role orientation, coping styles, and negative mood regulation expectancies. They were then randomly assigned to either a control group, in which participants completed a counting task, or a mood manipulation group, in which participants underwent a negative mood induction. All participants were then assessed on the same coping and expectancy measures filled out previously. Results indicated that high-masculine individuals were more likely to engage in problem-focused coping and coping through emphasizing the positive. Results also indicated that coping styles appear to become more similar when individuals are faced with a negative mood stressor. Based on these findings, future research directions are proposed and implications for the depression literature are discussed.