capital (class) differences, location, and social setting are all reasons why an individual would express, suppress, or mask an emotion. There is a gendered disparity in masking behavior; studies show women mask negative emotions to a greater extent than men. According to psychologist Teresa Davis, this may be due to the greater social expectation for conformity placed on female gender roles, causing women to develop the skill to a greater extent than men during childhood socialization. Autistic masking Some autistic people have been described as being able to "mask" or "camouflage" their signs of autism in order to meet social expectations. This may involve suppressing self-calming repetitive movements, faking a smile in an environment that they find uncomfortable or distressing, consciously evaluating their own behavior and mirroring others, or choosing not to talk about their special interests. Autistic people with conversational difficulties may also use more complex strategies such as scripting a conversation outline and developing conscious 'rules' for conversations, and carefully monitoring if these are being followed. Autistic people often learn conversational rules, social behaviors, and masking techniques by watching television shows and other media, often learning how to mimic a character's behavior. As masking is often a conscious effort, it can be exhausting for autistic people to mask for an extended period of time. Autistic people have cited social acceptance, the need to get a job, avoiding ostracism, or avoiding verbal or physical abuse as reasons for masking. Autistic women mask to a greater extent and complexity than autistic men and are often underdiagnosed as a result. Masking may conceal the person's need for support. Research has found that autistic masking is correlated with depression and suicide. Many autistic adults in one survey described profound exhaustion from trying to pretend to be non-autistic. Masking for extended periods of time can result in burnout and emotional trauma. Therapies that teach autistic people to mask, such as some forms of applied behavior analysis, are controversial. Consequences Little is known about the effects of masking one's negative emotions. In the workplace, masking leads to feelings of dissonance, insincerity, job dissatisfaction, emotional and physical exhaustion, and self-reported health problems. Some have also reported experiencing somatic symptoms and harmful physiological and cognitive effects as a consequence. See also Alter ego Beard (companion) Closet Jew Closeted Defense mechanism Dramaturgy (sociology) Facial Action Coding System Identity formation Minority stress Model minority Passing (sociology) Persona (psychology)