tend-and-befriend response

a proposed physiological and behavioral stress regulatory system that is an alternative to the classic fight-or-flight response and that is stronger in females than in males. Tending involves nurturant activities designed to protect the self and offspring, to promote a sense of safety, and to reduce distress, and befriending is expressed in the creation and maintenance of social networks that aid in this process. Neuroendocrinal evidence from research on both human and nonhuman animals suggests an underlying physiological mechanism mediated by oxytocin and moderated by female sex hormones and opioid peptide mechanisms. [proposed in 2000 by U.S. social psychologist Shelley E. Taylor (1946– ) and colleagues]

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

PI

1. abbreviation for prescribing information. See labeling.

2. abbreviation for proactive interference.

3. abbreviation for progressive interval. See progressive-interval schedule.