TEENS: Who suffers more stress when taking a test, bright girls or bright boys? Dr. Lisa Ridgeway at the University of Colorado gave hormone tests to a pool of high achieving teens before final examinations and this is what she found:
A week before finals, girls reported significantly more stress than boys. By examination day, girls' level of stress hormone has risen more than 50 percent — to three times the boys stress levels, which were unchanged.
At age 13, both boys and girls have the same stress levels before test, but as they got older, girls felt more stress while boys stress levels actually dropped. But even as girls get older and more comfortable in female roles they still tend to feel uncomfortable about competition, Dr. Ridgeway reported.
While girls felt more stress when taking examinations, it didn't end up causing them to score lower grades at all. In fact, the girls had slightly higher grades than the boys did!
I HOPE YOUR PARENTS WILL RELENT
DR. WALLACE: I have never been in any kind of trouble at school and I get good grades, but my parents seem to think that I'll get in trouble if I'm not always within their sight. I'm not allowed to go anywhere with my friends, not even to the mall on a Saturday afternoon. I'm beginning to feel like a prisoner in my own home. I've never attended any parties, school dances or even a basketball or football game at my high school.
I can't have a friend over to my house and that's the only time I see my friends outside of school, but one or both of my parents must always be home.
I'm not a baby. I am a 15-year-old young lady and when I asked my mom why I can't go anywhere, all she ever says is "because I said so, and I don't need to explain my reasons."
I missing out on a lot of social activities and it is very frustrating to me. How can I get my mom to let up a little? — Feeling unfairly grounded, via email
FEELING: Your mom may become more comfortable about letting you have a social life if she knows that the functions are chaperoned by competent adults. You could ask one of your friends to have her mother call one of your parents to invite them to a get together. For example, if your girlfriend wants you to attend a slumber party at her house, have her mom call and extend the invite and explain that the party will be well supervised. This way, your mom can ask any questions that might ease her mind. With the school functions, have a favorite teacher or your counselor call and explain the event and the routine.
I hope your parents will relent a little and allow you to visit with friends outside your home. If they deny a request, they should tell you why the answer is no! "Because I said so," is a very, very weak (and actually inappropriate) response.
IT BRUISED HIS EGO
DR. WALLACE: This boy and I both work part-time at a fast food restaurant. He has always flirted with me, but I've told him I wouldn't go out with him because I didn't believe in dating a guy who worked with me. Last week he got fired because he wasn't a good employee. Yesterday he called me and asked me out. He said I couldn't use that "I don't date guys to work with me" line anymore. I told him I still didn't want to go out with him and he got upset. He said I'd "strung him along." Do you think I did? — Anonymous, via email
ANONYMOUS: You can go out with anyone you choose. You are also free to say "no thanks" to anyone, for any reason at all. You didn't string this guy along; you were simply coworkers for a while. You have turned him down and it bruised his ego.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
View Comments