Editing Coping (section)

==Physiological basis==
Hormones also play a part in stress management. [[Cortisol]], a stress hormone, was found to be elevated in males during stressful situations. In females, however, cortisol levels were decreased in stressful situations, and instead, an increase in [[limbic]] activity was discovered. Many researchers believe that these results underlie the reasons why men administer a [[fight-or-flight]] reaction to stress; whereas, females have a [[tend-and-befriend]] reaction.<ref name="Wang"/> The "fight-or-flight" response activates the [[sympathetic nervous system]] in the form of increased focus levels, adrenaline, and epinephrine. Conversely, the "tend-and-befriend" reaction refers to the tendency of women to protect their offspring and relatives. Although these two reactions support a genetic basis to differences in behavior, one should not assume that in general females cannot implement "fight-or-flight" behavior or that males cannot implement "tend-and-befriend" behavior. Additionally, this study implied differing health impacts for each gender as a result of the contrasting stress-processes.