Gender Differences of Coping Strategies in Dealing with College Stress

The extent to which stressors can affect our lives can be mediated by various coping strategies. Previous research showed gender differences in selecting various ways of coping with stress. Specifically, women tend to engage in more emotionally expressive coping behaviors through seeking social support, while men tend to handle stress through more isolated activities (Piko, 2001). This study continues to examine whether the same gender differences occur in college students with academic related stress. Based on the past research, women are expected to engage in activities that incorporate social support, whereas men are expected to engage in activities that allow them to work their stress out on their own. Three hundred and ninety participants (male =90) completed an online survey reporting the activities they tend to engage in using a 10-point (0 to 9) Likert scale. Various activities, such as talking with family, close friends, significant others, co-workers, using social media, exercising, eating, shopping ..etc., are examples of coping methods. ANOVAs were performed to examine the gender differences in various activities used to cope with stress. Significant gender differences were found in using different strategies to cope with stress. Specifically, female students tend to talk with family members, close friends, as well as use social media, eat, sleep, and shop. Male students, on the other hand, are more likely to engage in exercise when dealing with stress. More results and implications will be discussed at the conference