Describe the gender differences in coping styles. Discuss why such a difference might exist, and what the implications for health are

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Males tend to respond using the "fight-or-flight" response, in which they either attack their adversary or flee from it. Shelley Taylor argues that this response is not adaptive for females who are pregnant or caring for young offspring, and has suggested that females may use a "tend-and-befriend" response instead. They focus on caring for others and developing social networks with them. This pattern of responding increases the likelihood of both the female and her young surviving, in line with predictions of evolutionary psychology. "Fight-or-flight" often involves hostility, which is associated with cardiovascular problems, and "tend-and-befriend" involves using social support, which fosters mental if not physical health. However, the existence of a general pattern of differences does not mean that men don't seek social support or that women don't aggress.