Explain Taylor’s tend-and-befriend theory challenging traditional stress models as they apply to women.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Classical stress theory describes a biobehavioral response to stress: In the biological component, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, thereby facilitating the behavioral response, which is flight-or-fight. Taylor proposed an alternative to the androcentric fight-or-flight with her theory of tend-and-befriend. Taylor’s theory proposed that the female behavioral response is to tend to one’s young and affiliate with (befriend) a social group that, collectively, provides protection from threats. This behavioral response is facilitated by the biological response, which involves secretion of oxytocin.