The effects of sex and gender role identity on perceived stress and coping among traditional and nontraditional students

Abstract

ABSTRACTObjective: This study examined differences in perceived stress and coping strategies based on gender role identity (GRI) and sex among traditional and nontraditional college students. Participants and Methods: Online surveys that assessed demographic information, GRI, and perceived stress were completed between October 2013 and March 2014 by 197 students. Results: Nontraditional masculine male students reported higher levels of perceived stress compared with nontraditional androgynous male students. Traditional androgynous female students showed significantly lower levels of perceived stress compared with their masculine counterparts. Nontraditional female students reported using more approach coping strategies than their traditional male students, but there were no differences in coping strategies among traditional students. Conclusions: These results suggest traditional and nontraditional students have different levels of perceived stress based on sex and GRI. Thus, colleges and universities should consider designing workshops, programs, and seminars to address the needs of students based on their sex, GRI, and student type.