Chapter 26 - Sex Differences in Emotion

Summary

Both female and male typical psychiatric conditions have marked social and economic consequences not only for the affected individuals, but also for their immediate social circle and society at large. Therefore, it is very important to characterize sex-specific vulnerabilities and their development. This chapter reviews research that addresses such sex-specific vulnerabilities through the investigation of emotional responses, emotion regulation strategies, and influences of emotion on cognition in healthy women and men. It discusses the biological and environmental factors that produce sex-specific resources and challenges. The chapter also considers how these resources and challenges engender male and female minds. Research studying the emotional and behavioral consequences of sex-specific brain mechanisms for aggression and anger has found that women are similar to men in the former but not the latter. The chapter suggests that different emotions produce qualitatively different sex differences.