Examining sex differences in the impact of anticipated and actual life events

Abstract

To examine for sex differences in anticipated and actual impact of pleasant and unpleasant life events in a non-clinical group, a cohort of 164 subjects was initially assessed in 1978 in their last year of teacher training. They were asked to participate in the life events study in 1979, and 97 subjects complied, providing us with ratings of impact of `anticipated' life events. In 1983, the original cohort assessed the `actual' impact of events experienced over the previous year. They also completed measures of neuroticism, state and trait depression, self-esteem, parental bonding and dependency in 1978, and gender roles in 1983. Some analyses for sex differences were undertaken for the entire cohort, with more extensive analyses for the 97 who had completed the 1979 (as well as 1978 and 1983) assessments. There were no sex differences in the scores for `anticipated' or `actual' impact of pleasant life events, or for `anticipated' unpleasant life events. However, there was a statistically significant sex difference between `actual' unpleasant life event scores, with females rating events as being either more pleasurable or unpleasant than males at both collection points. The actual impact of pleasant events was associated with higher dependency and masculinity scores, whilst unpleasant events was associated with higher dependency for females and higher parental overprotection and dependency scores for males.