Abstract
Adolescents (N=262) in the fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh grades reported the frequency, intensity, and duration of their experiences of 12 emotions and the situations during which they occurred. The first three scales of emotion combined to produce the emotion saliency score. Girls reported higher saliences of surprise, sad, self-hostility, shame, shy, and guilt. Boys reported higher saliency of contempt. Factor analysis of the salient emotions retained the same three factors for both genders: positive emotion, inner-passive, and outer-hostile negative emotions. The loadings for surprise, sad, and anger on each factor suggested within factor gender differences. Most salient emotions were experienced with peers; however, boys experienced both surprise and sadness more often when alone than did girls. There were gender differences in most emotion categories on the events associated with salient emotions. Boys found activities and achievement, and girls found affiliation, to be emotionally salient. These data suggest that gender differences in emotion are pervasive rather than confined to depressive emotion and include differences in the organizational properties of emotion.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baron, P., & Joly, E. Sex differences in the expression of depression in adolescents. Sex Roles, 1988, 18, 1–7.
Baron, P., & Perron, L. Sex differences in the Beck Depression Inventory Scores of Adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 1986, 2, 165–171.
Blumberg, S. H., & Izard, C. E. Affective and cognitive characteristics of depression in 10- and 11-year olds. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1985, 49(1), 194–202.
Blumberg, S. H., & Izard, C. E. Discriminating patterns of emotions in 10- and 11-year-old children's anxiety and depression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1986, 51, 852–857.
Bradburn, N. The structure of psychological well-being. Chicago: Aldine, 1969.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, R. Being adolescent: Conflict and growth in the teenage years. New York: Basic Books, 1984.
Diener, E., Sandvik, E., & Larsen, R. Age and sex effects for emotional intensity. Developmental Psychology, 1985, 21(3), 542–546.
Haviland, J. M., & Malatesta, C. Z. The development of sex differences in nonverbal signals: Fallacies, facts and fantasies. In C. Mayo & N. M. Henley (Eds.), Gender and nonverbal behavior. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1981.
Haviland, J. M., Rivera, J. M., & Stapley, J. C. Early adolescent emotional development. Unpublished manuscript, Rutgers — The State University of New Jersey.
Izard, C. E. The face of emotion. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1971.
Izard, C. E. Human emotions. New York: Plenum Press, 1977.
Izard, C. E., Dougherty, F., Bloxom, B., & Kotsch, W. The Differential Emotions Scale: A method of measuring the subjective experience of discrete emotions. Unpublished manuscript, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
Jersild, A. T., & Tasch, R. J. Children's interests. New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1941.
Kotsch, W. E., Gerbing, D. W., & Schwartz, L. E. The construct validity of the Differential Emotions Scale as adopted for children and adolescents. In C. E. Izard (Ed.), Measuring emotions in infants and children. London: Cambridge University Press, 1982.
Kovacs, M., & Beck, A. T. An empirical clinical approach towards a definition of childhood depression. In J. G. Schulterbrant & A. Raskin (Eds.), Depression in children: Diagnosis, treatment, and conceptual models. New York: Raven Press, 1977.
Lewis, H. B. Depression vs. paranoia: Why are there sex differences in mental illness? Journal of Personality, 1985, 53(2), 150–178.
Malatesta, C. Z., & Haviland, J. M. Signals, symbols, and socialization: The modification of emotional expression in human development. In M. Lewis & C. Saarni (Eds.), The socialization of emotion. New York: Plenum Press, 1985.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. Sex differences in unipolar depression: Evidence and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 1987, 101(2), 259–282.
Reynolds, W. M. Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, 1986.
Rutter, M. The developmental psychopathology of depression: Issues and perspectives. In M. Rutter, C. E. Izard, & P. B. Read (Eds.), Depression in young people. New York: Guilford Press, 1986.
Seay, W., Silvan, M., Juska, M., Hartiner, E., & Taleporas, E. (1987). Ego defensive functioning: Age and sex differences. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Alexandria, VA, 1987.
Stapley, J. C., & Haviland, J. M. The elicitors of emotion questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript, Rutgers — The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 1986.
Stapley, J. C., & Haviland, J. M. Subjective experience of emotion among normal adolescents. Paper presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research on Adolescence: Crystal City, MD, 1988.
Tomkins, S. S. Affect, imagery and consciousness (Volume 1). The positive affects. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1962.
Webb, T. E., & VanDevere, C. A. Sex difference in the expression of depression: A developmental interaction effect. Sex Roles, 1985, 12, 91–95.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was based upon data collected for the first author's dissertation under the direction of the second author. Preliminary analyses were presented at Eastern Psychological Association, Crystal City, Maryland, 1987.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stapley, J.C., Haviland, J.M. Beyond depression: Gender differences in normal adolescents' emotional experiences. Sex Roles 20, 295–308 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287726
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287726