By Linda Sapadin
For me, a marketplace of knowledge is much more exciting than a marketplace of merchandise. That's why while others prefer to "shop till they drop," I get my kicks out of listening to the latest theories, studies, and research that are presented by my colleagues at the American Psychological Association's national convention. Having just returned from the convention, let me share with you some of the latest research that I found interesting and relevant to our lives and social policies.
*New research indicates that adults who have been physically or sexually abused in childhood are not only more depressed and anxious as adults but also show an exaggerated stress response to everyday events. Chronic childhood trauma may actually cause brain chemistry to change, resulting in a hypersensitivity to many kinds of stress. In a series of studies, abnormal stress responses were documented for survivors of the Holocaust, rape victims, children of war and others who have endured traumatic experiences.
* Think of all the arguments that take place because men and women handle themselves in different ways when they are upset. Instead of blaming your spouse for everything because he or she doesn't see things your way, new studies suggest you can blame it on the hormones. It seems that testosterone, the male hormone, tends to activate a stress response of "
FIGHT OR FLIGHT." The typical fight patterns of men are: anger, criticism, hostility; the flight patterns are: distancing oneself, retreating to one's "cave," shutting down. Estrogen, the female hormone, tends to activate a very different kind of stress response, called "
TEND AND BEFRIEND." The typical stress response patterns of women are: talk about it, seek out support, ask for help or directions. Wouldn't it be nice if we could each acknowledge, respect (and sometimes practice) the other gender's style?
