Human Males Appear More Prepared Than Females to Resolve Conflicts with Same-Sex Peers

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate sex differences in proximate mechanisms that precede the termination of conflicts. In Study 1, we asked women and men to report their intensity of anger in response to hypothetical, common transgressions involving a same-sex roommate. Direct verbal and physical aggression elicited the highest-intensity anger for both sexes, although overall women reported more intense anger than men to all transgressions. In Study 2, we examined sex differences in subjective and physiological reactions to a conflict using a role-playing scenario. Following recall of a conflict involving direct aggression and role-playing a reaction to it, compared with men, women reported their anger would dissipate less quickly and they would take longer to reconcile. Women also exhibited increased heart rate, but little change in cortisol, whereas men exhibited little change in heart rate but increased cortisol production. We interpret the results as indicating that women are less prepared than men to resolve a conflict with a same-sex peer.

Relationship dissolution in the friendships of emerging adults: How, when, and why?

“…Work on individual differences in friendship dissolution has mainly focused on gender differences. For example, research on conflict resolution in emerging adults' friendships (Benenson et al, 2014) suggests that women's anger toward a same-gender friend following a conflict takes longer to dissipate compared with men and that women expect that they will need more time than men before attempting to repair the friendship. However, findings on gender differences are mixed: in another study of emerging adults, males endorsed revenge goals to a greater extent in the face of conflict with friends and were more likely than females to threaten ending the friendship (McDonald & Asher, 2013).…”

Factores Psicosociales Asociados Al Conflicto Entre Menores en El Contexto Escolar

“…Múltiples estudios señalan que en el proceso de conformación del grupo de amigos, la agresión física entre varones aparece como medio de establecimiento de jerarquías sociales (p.e., CAMPO DÍAZ et al, 2012;CARD et al, 2008;AR-CHER, 2004), mientras que las niñas, responden de manera prosocial ante los conflictos (HOPMEYER & ASHER, 1997;CHUNG & ASHER, 1996) debido a un mayor desarrollo de la empatía (HARTMANN et al, 2015). Sin embargo, se ha encontrado que las niñas usan formas de agresión encubierta, usando mecanismos de exclusión social (BENENSON, 2013) y aunque suelen lograr relaciones más profundas y vinculantes (RUBIN et al, 1998), también son más frágiles y menos duraderas (BENENSON & CHRISTAKOS, 2003), presentando más dificultades que los varones para resolver los conflictos, que experimentan de forma intensa en términos emocionales que las lleva a tardar más en reconciliarse (BENENSON et al, 2014). Al parecer estas situaciones responden a prácticas de crianza que juzgan más negativamente la agresión entre las niñas y promueven una mayor necesidad de aprobación por parte de terceros ( MARTÍNEZ-GONZÁLEZ, 2017).…”

Initial Development of a Situation‐based Measure of Emerging Adults’ Social Competence in their Same‐gender Friendships

“…However, compared to men, women also place greater value on and have higher expectations for their same‐gender friends (Hall, 2011). These characteristics may contribute to women experiencing more challenges with their friends, as they may perceive friends’ behavior as more problematic (Felmlee, Sweet, & Sinclair, 2012), and may be angrier when conflicts arise (Benenson et al, 2014). Moreover, women’s higher expectations may mean that how a person responds to a challenging situation is more consequential in female friendships.…”