THE DIFFERENTIAL ROLE OF INSTRUMENTALITY, EXPRESSIVITY, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT IN PREDICTING PROBLEM-SOLVING APPRAISAL IN MEN AND WOMEN

This study examined the role of instrumentality, expressivity, satisfaction with social support, and size of the social network in predicting problem-solving appraisal in both male and female college students. Two-hundred fifteen primarily white undergraduates (137 female, 78 male) completed the Problem Solving Inventory, Social Support Inventory, Personal Attribute Questionnaire, and Social Network. Simultaneous regression analyses revealed that for both men and women, instrumentality was related to all three factors of the PSI, and expressivity was related to approaching problems. Satisfaction with social support, however, was related to different PSI factors for men and women. As more information is acquired about how men and women each learn gender-related traits and obtain various problem-solving skills, we will be able to assist people in acquiring new perspectives and adaptive problem-solving activities.