Men stress more in traffic: study

Men stress more in traffic: study

Matt Campbell
May 26, 2011 - 3:50PM
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It's official – men stress more than women when they're stuck in traffic. Seven times more, to be precise.

A study in Britain has found women suffer an 8.7 per cent increase in stress levels when driving in traffic, while men's stress levels jump by 60 per cent in the same bumper-to-bumper situation.

The research – conducted by a group of psychologists in conjunction with sat-nav maker TomTom – analysed the signature stress chemicals in the saliva of male and female volunteers, finding that the actual physiological symptoms were far higher than the volunteers' stated levels of stress.

Half the men and two-thirds of the women participating in the research reported "not feeling stressed" after 20 minutes' driving in traffic; with their saliva clearly stating otherwise.

According to the report, telltale symptoms of traffic jam tension include dizziness, breathlessness, muscular aches and even chest pains, while behavioural symptoms include agitation and erratic driving.

The report also suggested that long-term exposure to stressful situations, such as being stuck in traffic, could lead to high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels and suppressed immune function.

Research leader and health psychologist David Moxon says the fact that men stress more in situations they cannot escape comes down to their "fight or flight" response, which causes males to want to either attack the situation or walk away from it.

"Men, in particular, show a strong acute physiological 'fight or flight' response," Moxon says. "The fact that they are not always aware of this could indicate that driving regularly in dense traffic could have a profound effect on their health."

Women, on the other hand, found ways to cope with their stress. The report found that two out of three females will feel less stressed if they turn the radio up and sing along to a song.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/drive/roads-and-traffic/men-stress-more-in-traffic-study-20110526-1f5qv.html