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The relationship of sex-role stereotypy to anger expression and the report of psychosomatic symptoms

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Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the relationship between selected psychological and behavioral measures concenred with the expression of anger and the report of psychosomatic symptoms. Presumably healthy college students filled out a symptom inventory which served as the criterion measure. Additionally, questionnaires were used to measure sex-role stereotypy, assertiveness, various types of hostility, and hostility guilt, which were then employed in a series of related analyses. Results supporting predicted relationships consistently demonstrated a positive association between the number of symptoms and indirect expression of anger as well as certain stereotypically feminine traits. Significant negative correlations were found between the symptom measure and assertiveness and between the symptom measure and scores on masculinity scales. Predictions that symptom frequency would be negatively related to the direct expression of hostility and positively related to hostility-guilt were not supported.

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Heiser, P., Gannon, L. The relationship of sex-role stereotypy to anger expression and the report of psychosomatic symptoms. Sex Roles 10, 601–611 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287268

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