GENDER DIFFERENCES IN ANGER ANXIETY REACTIONS TO WITNESSING DYADIC FAMILY CONFLICT

Subjects' affective reactions to audiotaped family conflicts were obta ined by having subjects complete affect self-ratings before and after listening to audiotapes. A consistent affective reaction was observed across tapes. This was characterized by a strong and significant pre-p ost increase on anger scores by the women (163%) and men (70%) that wa s disproportionately greater than any other affect increase. Further, when the men's increases in anger-anxiety are considered as a ratio of their overall affect increase (a Specific Affect Ratio), they are act ually greater than increases in the women's anger-anxiety.