The purpose of the present study was to develop a
measure of feminine gender role stress appraisal (FGRS),
the cognitive tendency to appraise threats and challenges to
femininity as stressful. Stressors particularly salient for
women were identified. Through factor analysis these
stressors were categorized as situations involving emotional
detachment, evaluation of physical attractiveness,
potential victimization, assertive coping, and evaluations
of nurturance. The FGRS appraisal style should create
additional stress in the lives of women to the extent they
are faced with these types of stressors. Thus, it was
predicted that women high on FGRS would be more vulnerable
to stress related disorders that disproportionately afflict
women. Supporting this hypothesis, women with high FGRS
scores reported more depression and, to a lesser extent,
anxiety. Additionally, the psychometric properties of the
FGRS scale were investigated. Women scored higher on FGRS than men and scores among women showed good two week testretest
reliability. The tendency to appraise situations on
the FGRS scale as stressful was moderately associated with
the tendency to perceive masculine threats and challenges
and daily hassles as stressful as well. Discriminant
validity was demonstrated between FGRS appraisal and the
expression of hostility and self-perceived femininity.
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