Prior to 1995, most research on the stress response had been done almost exclusively on males, which is part of the reason why the fight-or-flight response earned a place in our cultural conditioning. Newer research, including a 2000 study in Psychological Review, suggests that our biology doesn’t always follow this same male pattern. Instead, women are more inclined to have a “tend-and-befriend” response to stress. During these times, we are more likely to tend to young ones and befriend others for support as a way to enhance the odds of survival—not only our own survival but also that of our
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