It is unknown whether the famous sex-related difference in emotion processing is accounted for by biological sex, gender role, or their interaction. To clarify the issue, in Study 1 we recorded event-related potentials in response to negative and positive images of diverse intensities when 47 masculine (26 males) and 47 feminine (22 males) subjects performed a non-emotional task. The occipital P1 and N1 amplitudes were larger in women than in men, while feminine subjects showed larger N1 amplitudes than masculine subjects, regardless of sex. Moreover, feminine subjects showed enhanced frontocentral N2 (210–270 ms) amplitudes for highly and mildly negative than for neutral stimuli, while masculine subjects showed an emotion effect only for highly negative stimuli. The feminine-specific effect for mildly negative stimuli was positively correlated to the feminine score, and this correlation was located to the anterior cingulate and the superior and medial frontal gyri. Furthermore, feminine but not masculine subjects showed enhanced parietal P3 (330–560 ms) amplitudes for highly and mildly positive than for neutral stimuli, an effect positively related to the feminine score and localized to the precuneus, posterior cingulate, and superior temporal gyrus. Machine learning analyses verified that single-trial N2 and P3 amplitudes of feminine subjects reliably discriminated the intensity of negative and positive stimuli, respectively. For ecological considerations, in Study 2 we used an observational approach (n = 300) and confirmed that feminine gender role, rather than biological sex, predicted individual differences in daily experience of emotion-related psychopathological symptoms. These findings provide solid evidence for the critical impact of gender role rather than sex on emotional susceptibility.

目前尚不清楚情绪处理中著名的与性别有关的差异是否由生理性别、性别角色或它们的相互作用来解释。为了澄清这个问题，在研究 1 中，当 47 名男性（26 名男性）和 47 名女性（22 名男性）受试者执行非情感任务时，我们记录了事件相关电位以响应不同强度的负面和正面图像。女性的枕骨 P1 和 N1 幅度大于男性，而女性受试者的 N1 幅度大于男性受试者，无论性别如何。此外，与中性刺激相比，女性受试者在高度和轻度负性刺激下表现出增强的前中枢 N2（210-270 ms）振幅，而男性受试者仅对高度负性刺激表现出情绪效应。轻度负性刺激的女性特异性效应与女性评分呈正相关，这种相关性位于前扣带回和额上回和内侧回。此外，与中性刺激相比，女性而非男性受试者的顶叶 P3（330-560 ms）振幅在高度和轻度阳性时表现出增强，这种影响与女性评分呈正相关，并且局限于楔前叶、后扣带回和颞上回。机器学习分析证实，女性受试者的单次试验 N2 和 P3 振幅分别可靠地区分了负刺激和正刺激的强度。出于生态考虑，在研究 2 中，我们使用了观察方法（这种相关性位于前扣带回和额上回和内侧额回。此外，与中性刺激相比，女性而非男性受试者的顶叶 P3（330-560 ms）振幅在高度和轻度阳性时表现出增强，这种影响与女性评分呈正相关，并且局限于楔前叶、后扣带回和颞上回。机器学习分析证实，女性受试者的单次试验 N2 和 P3 振幅分别可靠地区分了负刺激和正刺激的强度。出于生态考虑，在研究 2 中，我们使用了观察方法（这种相关性位于前扣带回和额上回和内侧额回。此外，与中性刺激相比，女性而非男性受试者的顶叶 P3（330-560 ms）振幅在高度和轻度阳性时表现出增强，这种影响与女性评分呈正相关，并且局限于楔前叶、后扣带回和颞上回。机器学习分析证实，女性受试者的单次试验 N2 和 P3 振幅分别可靠地区分了负刺激和正刺激的强度。出于生态考虑，在研究 2 中，我们使用了观察方法（这种效应与女性评分呈正相关，并局限于楔前叶、后扣带回和颞上回。机器学习分析证实，女性受试者的单次试验 N2 和 P3 振幅分别可靠地区分了负刺激和正刺激的强度。出于生态考虑，在研究 2 中，我们使用了观察方法（这种效应与女性评分呈正相关，并局限于楔前叶、后扣带回和颞上回。机器学习分析证实，女性受试者的单次试验 N2 和 P3 振幅分别可靠地区分了负刺激和正刺激的强度。出于生态考虑，在研究 2 中，我们使用了观察方法（n  = 300）并证实女性性别角色，而不是生理性别，预测了与情绪相关的精神病理学症状的日常体验中的个体差异。这些发现为性别角色而非性别对情绪敏感性的关键影响提供了确凿的证据。