Gender Differences in Perceptions of Stressors and Utilization of Social Support Among University Students

Meme si plusieurs chercheurs ont demontre que le soutien social est un mecanisme d'adaptation efficace pour faire face au stress, tres peu de recherches se sont penchees sur les differences entre les sexes en ce qui a trait au stress percu et au recours au soutien social. Dans la presente etude, 186 etudiants du premier cycle d'une universite des Maritimes ont note la nature stressante percue de cinq scenarios et ont identifie le type et la source de soutien social vers lesquels ils se tourneraient pour faire face a chacune des situations. Comparativement aux hommes, les femmes ont percu trois des cinq scenarios comme etant considerablement plus stressants. Les femmes, beaucoup plus que les hommes, ont indique qu'elles chercheraient du soutien de la part de leur partenaire ou d'amis. Les femmes ont egalement rapporte qu'elle chercheraient un soutien affectif a un niveau plus eleve que ne l'ont indique les hommes. Cependant, lorsque la nature stressante percue des scenarios etait determinee, certaines differences entre les sexes quant aux sources et aux types de soutien disparaissaient.

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