Abstract

Research has shown that there is a significant gender difference in the worry report of women and men, with women consistently reporting more worry than men (Stavosky & Borkovec, 1988). This study investigated this phenomenon by looking at gender differences in cognitive variables associated with excessive worry. Intolerance of uncertainty, negative problem orientation, positive beliefs about worry, and cognitive avoidance have been linked with the generation and maintenance of worry (Dugas et al., 1998). Two-hundred and twenty-one female and 103 male university students completed six questionnaires assessing trait worry, intolerance of uncertainty, negative problem orientation, positive beliefs about worry, and cognitive avoidance. The results showed that women reported significantly more worry than men on two trait worry scales, as well as significantly more worries about lack of confidence issues. In relation to cognitive variables associated with worry, women also reported engaging in significantly more thought suppression and negative problem orientation than men. A non-significant trend emerged for a closer relationship between positive beliefs about worry and trait worry for men. It is postulated that thought suppression and negative problem orientation may account for women's increased reporting of worry, and that positive beliefs about worry may have a closer relationship to worry in men. Hypotheses accounting for the observed gender effects in the cognitive variables used in this study are discussed.