Assessing explanations for sex differences in emotional support - A test of the different cultures and skill specialization accounts

Research documents sex differences in interpersonal behaviors, such as comf orting and emotional support, with women consistently being more likely tha n men to engage in comforting behavior, to produce sophisticated comforting messages, to value comforting skills, and to select friends based on comfo rting skills. Explanations for these gender differences include the "differ ent cultures account" and the "skill specialization account." This research was designed to test these explanations by assessing contrasting predictio ns derived from each account. Participants completed questionnaires assessi ng the types of comforting messages perceived as most sensitive and effecti ve, preferences for the sex of comfort providers, and priorities assigned t o affective and instrumental goals in comforting contexts. The results indi cated that men and women evaluated comforting messages similarly, preferred receiving emotional support from female providers, and had similar priorit ies in comforting contexts. These results are most consistent with the skil l specialization account and provide virtually no support for the different cultures account.