The DOI matches its Crossref record; 232 of the 232 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: Tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-flight.
Abstract
The human stress response has been characterized, both physiologically and behaviorally, as "fight-or-flight." Although fight-or-flight may characterize the primary physiological responses to stress for both males and females, we propose that, behaviorally, females' responses are more marked by a pattern of "tend-and-befriend." Tending involves nurturant activities designed to protect the self and offspring that promote safety and reduce distress; befriending is the creation and maintenance of social networks that may aid in this process. The biobehavioral mechanism that underlies the tend-and-befriend pattern appears to draw on the attachment-caregiving system, and neuroendocrine evidence from animal and human studies suggests that oxytocin, in conjunction with female reproductive hormones and endogenous opioid peptide mechanisms, may be at its core. This previously unexplored stress regulatory system has manifold implications for the study of stress.
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“They also correspond to 'befriending' mechanisms in women, as opposed to the fight-or-flight physiology in men, as suggested by Taylor et al. (2000), and to the anxiolytic effects which were found in previous research in humans (Meyer-Lindenberg et al., 2011).”
From Sex-specific effects of intranasal oxytocin on autonomic nervous system and emotional responses to couple conflict (2013) · cites this paper as Taylor et al., 2000
In the citing paper
“Our observations correspond to OXT enhancing the salience of positive social cues to facilitate ' tend-and-befriend ' (33) and approach behavior in females toward individuals with prosocial attributes (8).”
From Oxytocin, the peptide that bonds the sexes also divides them (2016) · cites this paper as [33]
Citations
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Rose, A. J., & Rudolph, K. D. (2006) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.1.98 · Cited by 2,517
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Metadata
- Authors
- Taylor, S. E., Klein, L. C., Lewis, B. P., Gruenewald, T. L., Gurung, R. A. R., & Updegraff, J. A.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Green Bay (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Review
- Published
- 2000
- Volume
- 107
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 411-429
- ISSN
- 0033-295X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1471
- OpenAlex
- W2149915148
- Cited by
- 3,308
- References
- 232
- Citations by year
- 2026: 130 · 2025: 111 · 2024: 139 · 2023: 124 · 2022: 158 · 2021: 185 · 2020: 149 · 2019: 150 · 2018: 167 · 2017: 165 · 2016: 178 · 2015: 181 · 2014: 159 · 2013: 159 · 2012: 165
- FWCI
- 73.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH056880, MH15750, MH 056880, T32MH015750)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- fight or flight, stress response, social support, social networks, oxytocin, female sex hormones, endogenous opioids, stress regulation, sex differences
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Neurosecretory Systems, Reproduction, Stress, Psychological, Caregivers
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- CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: Tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-flight. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1037/0033-295x.107.3.411
- The paper
- Taylor, S. E., Klein, L. C., Lewis, B. P., Gruenewald, T. L., Gurung, R. A. R., & Updegraff, J. A. (2000). Biobehavioral responses to stress in females: Tend-and-befriend, not fight-or-flight. Psychological Review. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295x.107.3.411
