Gendered Differences in Perceived Emotion: The Impact on Clinical Diagnoses and Treatment

Abstract

Diagnosis of psychological disorders is clearly gendered. To help explain these gender differences, previous research investigating actual and perceived gender differences in emotion will be detailed. Within a non-clinical setting, perceived gender differences in emotion appear larger and more consistent than actual gender differences in emotion. Gender stereotypes about emotions offer an explanation of this finding. The implications of these findings in a clinical setting are explored, specifically the impact of gender stereotypes about emotion on diagnosis and intervention.