Researchers in the psychology department at the University of California at Los Angeles （UCLA） have discovered a major difference in the way men and women respond to stress．This difference may explain why men are more likely to suffer from stress-related disorders．
Until now，psychological research has maintained that both men and women have the same"fight-or-flight"reaction to stress．In other words，individuals either react with aggressive behavior，such as verbal or physical conflict （"fight"），or they react by withdrawing from the stressful situation （"flight"）．However，the UCLA research team found that men and women have quite different biological and behavioral responses to stress．While men often react to stress in the fight-or-flight response，women often have another kind of reaction which could be called"tend and befriend．"That is，they often react to stressful conditions by protecting and nurturing their young （"tend"），and by looking for social contact and support from others-especially other females （"befriend"）．
Scientists have long known that in the fight-or-flight reaction to stress，an important role is played by certain hormones（激素） released by the body．The UCLA research team suggests that the female tend-or-befriend response is also based on a hormone．This hormone，called oxytocin，has been studied in the context of childbirth，but now it is being studied for its role in the response of both men and women to stress．The principal investigator，Dr．Shelley E．Taylor，explained that"animals and people with high levels of oxytocin are calmer，more relaxed，more social，and less anxious．"While men also secrete （分泌） oxytocin，its effects are reduced by male hormones．
In terms of everyday behavior，the UCLA study found that women are far more likely than men to seek social contact when they are feeling stressed．They may phone relatives or friends，or ask directions if they are