WASHINGTON: It’s often said that when stress strikes, women turn to their social ties for support and men become aggressive. But a new research has now found that these gender stereotypes don’t always hold true.
In fact, stress-hit men are more likely to trust others, behave in a trustworthy manner and to share resources, the researchers found.
“Apparently men also show social approach behaviour as a direct consequence of stress,” study researcher Bernadette von Dawans of the University of Freiburg in Germany was quoted as saying by LiveScience.
For their study, published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers recruited 67 male students from the University of Zurich to test their responses to stress.
About half of them were put under stress by speaking in public and by having to complete a tough mentalmath test. The other half mimicked those activities in a laid-back way.
Defying stereotypes, stress was found to increase men’s kind and gentle behaviour, the study showed.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
