Title

Skill Deficit or Differential Motivation? Accounting for Sex Differences in the Provision of Emotion Support

Authors

Erina L. MacGeorge, Purdue University
Seth J. Gillihan, University of PennsylvaniaFollow
Wendy Samter, Bryant UniversityFollow
Ruth Anne Clark, University of IllinoisFollow

Document Type

Article

Comments

Published by Sage Publications in Communication Research Volume 30, Number 3, pages 272-303.

Bryant University users may access this article here.

Keywords

Gender Differences;Communication

Publisher

Sage Publications

Publication Source

Communication Research

Abstract

Although researchers have proposed a skill deficit account for observed gender differences in the provision of emotional support, few studies have directly tested the claim that men are less capable of providing effective support. This study advances an alternative account for gender differences in the effectiveness of supportive communication, arguing that gender differences may emerge because men and women respond differently to situational factors that influence the motivation to provide sensitive emotional support.