Gender Differences in Adolescence in Emotional Variables Relevant to Eating Disorders
- Pascual Jimeno, Aitziber
- Etxebarria Bilbao, Itziar
- Ortega, Izaskun
- Ripalda, Andrés
ISSN: 1577-7057
Year of publication: 2012
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Pages: 59-68
Type: Article
More publications in: International journal of psychology and psychological therapy
Abstract
This study analyzed gender differences in diverse emotional variables relevant to eating disorders: frequency of positive and negative emotions, difficulty identifying and describing emotions and coping. Participants comprised 762 adolescents (50.8% male and 49.2% female) aged between 16 and 18. Statistical analyses (t tests) revealed statistically significant differences in favor of adolescent females as regards frequency of negative emotions, difficulty identifying and describing emotions, primary control engagement coping, involuntary engagement responses and wishful thinking; and in favor of adolescent males as regards frequency of positive emotions and secondary control engagement coping. In some cases, these results reveal a panorama somewhat different from that expected as regards gender differences in emotions. Further analysis of this question is required in future studies.