Observer Perceptions of Would-Be Provider and Would-Be Recipient Reactions to Rejected Social Support1

Role-playing observers predicted the reactions of hypothetical would-be recipients whose requests for social support were unmet as well as those of hypothetical would-be providers for their rejection of such requests. The extent to which the would-be recipient was depicted at fault for the problem was predicted to affect perceived reactions since support may be less likely when potential recipients are blameworthy than when they are innocent of responsibility for their predicament. Observers perceived would-be recipients of support as believing that would-be providers blamed them. Observers saw would-be providers as blaming the would-be recipients rather than themselves, especially if the victim was blameworthy. When the victim was not blameworthy, would-be providers were more likely than would-be recipients to be judged to use a mixture of rationalizations and excuses rather than blame.     

Objective determinants of perceived social support

Objective characteristics of people's social networks were examined as determinants of the perceived availability of social support in two populations: elderly adults (n = 50) and mothers of 1-year-olds (n = 71). Number of network members and frequency of contact with network members, computed separately for kin and nonkin were examined as predictors of loneliness, overall social support, and the six components of social support proposed by Weiss (1974). Kin were found to be more effective providers than nonkin of some aspects of social support. Network characteristics were better predictors of perceived social support for the elderly than for the mothers, but a maximum of 30% of the variance in perceived social support was attributable to the objective network characteristics in either sample. It is recommended that future research on the determinants of perceived social support consider actual interpersonal behaviors, their contexts, and personality characteristics that affect the facilitation an interpretation of supportive behaviors.     

Social support from a friend,perceived support,and social problem solving

This research combined experimental and correlational methods to investigate the effects of social support on social problem-solving effectiveness and perceived stress. During a wait period, college students were given the opportunity to work on practice items from a mildly stressful social problem-solving task, either alone or in the company of a close friend. Participants and friends were allowed to talk about the practice items but were not required to do so, and supportive transactions were tape recorded and content analyzed. All students then completed social problem-solving and perceived stress items alone. Participants who waited with friends did not show superior problem-solving effectiveness unless companions provided particular supportive behaviors. Participants with high perceived support scores rated the experiment as less stressful than those with low scores, but perceived support was not related to companions' actual supportive behaviors. The results were discussed in terms of implications for understanding the mechanisms of social support.     

Trait and social processes in the link between social support and affect: an experimental, laboratory investigation

This study investigated the extent to which the link between perceived social support and affect reflected support recipients' trait perceived support as well as three distinct social processes: the objective supportiveness of providers, the unique relationships among recipients and providers that were stable over occasions, as well as the unique relationships that varied across occasions. Ten recipients interacted with each of the same four providers on five separate occasions, for a total of 200 interactions. Recipients and independent observers rated recipient affect and provider support. Greater perceived support was related to greater positive affect for recipients' trait perceived support, as well as for relationships that were stable over occasions and relationships that varied across occasions. No social support effects were found for negative affect. Perceived similarity was a consistent predictor of recipients' support perceptions. Implications for social support models and interventions were discussed.     

Does perceived unfairness exacerbate or mitigate interpersonal counterproductive work behaviors related to envy?

The authors examined how the interaction between perceived unfairness and episodic envy predicts interpersonal counterproductive work behaviors toward the envied other. In 2 studies using different samples and methods to elicit envy, predictions were compared based on the social exchange and attribution models of fairness. The results support the social exchange model of fairness, showing that higher levels of envy and perceived unfairness result in higher levels of interpersonal counterproductive work behavior (Study 1), especially among high self-esteem individuals (Study 2).     

The Rokeach Value Survey and Social Desirability

Abstract

Social influence and social power were examined in two studies. In Study 1, samples of U.S. students who had been presented with randomly ordered lists of 13 influence tactics and power bases predicted the likelihood that an influence agent would use the tactics or power bases, for seven status-differentiated, hypothetical relationships. Lower status agents were perceived to use influence tactics, and higher status agents were perceived to use power bases. In Study 2, female students were assigned either a supervisory role or a subordinate role. The participants in the supervisory and subordinate roles identified power bases or influence tactics that had been rated by the participants in Study 1 as commonly used by higher or lower status influence agents, respectively. The results of the present study seem to support the notion that social influence and social power are separate strategies.     

See what you think: reappraisal modulates behavioral and neural responses to social stimuli

The social environment requires people to quickly form contextually appropriate social evaluations. Models of social cognition suggest that this ability depends on the interaction of automatic and controlled evaluative systems. However, controlled processes, such as reappraisal of an initial response, have rarely been studied in the context of social evaluation. In the two studies reported here, participants reappraised or simply observed angry or neutral faces. In Study 1, reappraisal modulated evaluations of angry faces on explicit as well as implicit behavioral levels. In Study 2, reappraisal altered both early and late phases of evaluative electrocortical processing. These studies suggest that controlled processes, such as reappraisal, can quickly and substantially modulate early evaluative processes in the context of biologically significant social stimuli.     

Recipient-provider agreement on enacted support, perceived support, and provider personality

This study examined agreement between recipients and providers about social support and personality. One hundred daughter caregivers of a parent with Alzheimer's disease and each caregiver's most important support provider independently reported supportive behaviors provided to caregivers, the perceived supportiveness of the provider, and providers' personality traits. For all indices, agreement was higher for enacted support than for perceived support and personality, which were similar to each other for some, but not all, indices of agreement. These findings support the validity of measures of enacted and perceived support.     

Toward a Multidimensional Construct of Social Support: Implications of Provider's Self-Reliance and Request Characteristics

The two studies reported here sought to propose a multidimensional taxonomy for providing social support, and to use an attachment-theory framework to investigate provision of support at work. Additionally, the studies sought to explore the distinct contextual considerations that affect decisions on the type of support provided. In Study 1, case studies were presented to 164 hospital nurses, who, taking the role of the head nurse, were asked to deal with a distressed staff nurse who was either high or low tenured, and whose cause of distress was either personal or job-related. In the second study, 55 nurses with various job tenures described the support behaviors of their superiors. In both studies, support interventions and attachment styles were measured. Results provided partial evidence of the multidimensionality of social support, and indicated that it contains 4 distinct support behaviors: helping, maintenance, referral, and encouragement of self-coping. Furthermore, the distinct support behaviors were affected by different attachment styles and contextual considerations.     

Selectively friending: Racial stereotypicality and social rejection

Three studies show that people whose physical features are seen as more (versus less) racially stereotypical are more vulnerable to social rejection and exclusion from those outside their group. In Study 1, which used an online social networking site, Blacks perceived as more physically stereotypical were found to have fewer non-Black friends, compared to less-stereotypical Blacks. In Study 2, which used an experimental paradigm, requests for friendship made to non-Blacks by more-stereotypical Blacks were more likely to be rejected than those made by less-stereotypical Blacks. Finally, in a college dormitory, people judged to have more (vs. less) racially stereotypical physical features were found to interact less often with outgroup members. This work substantiates a growing body of research demonstrating that people who are perceived as more physically stereotypical of their racial group are particularly vulnerable to discriminatory treatment by outgroup members across a variety of life domains.     

Parental Perceived Control and Social Support: Linkages to Change in Parenting Behaviors During Early Adolescence

Prior studies have found that parents’ perceptions of control over their lives and their social support may both be important for parenting behaviors. Yet, few studies have examined their unique and interacting influence on parenting behaviors during early adolescence. This longitudinal study of rural parents in two‐parent families (N = 636) investigated (a) whether perceived control and social support when their youth were in sixth grade were independently or interactively associated with changes in parenting behaviors (discipline, standard setting) and parent–child warmth and hostility 6 months later and (b) if these linkages differed by parent gender. We also investigated the interactive links between perceived control, social support, and parenting. Specifically, we tested if parents’ perceived control moderated the linkages between social support and parenting and if these linkages differed by parent gender. Greater perceived control predicted more increases in parents’ consistent discipline and standard setting, whereas greater social support predicted increases in parent–child warmth and decreases in parent–child hostility. Parental perceived control moderated the effect of social support on parental warmth: For mothers only, social support was significantly linked to parent–child warmth only when mothers had low (but not high) perceived self‐control. The discussion focuses on reasons why perceived control and social support may have associations with different aspects of parenting and why these might differ for mothers and fathers.     

The impact of magnitude of harm and perceived difficulty of making reparations on group‐based guilt and reparation towards victims of historical harm

The present research investigates how reading stories about past mistreatment of children who had been in institutional care affects support for reparations, perceived difficulty of reparations and group‐based guilt were investigated in two experiments. In Study 1 we showed that, when the stories increased in perceived harm, so did the perceived difficulty of making reparations whereas group‐based guilt decreased. Furthermore, both perceived difficulty of making reparations and group‐based guilt predicted support for reparation. It was suggested that these findings were due to a natural confound between the severity of harm and the difficulty of reparations. Study 2 included a direct manipulation of perceived difficulty that was intended to weaken or strengthen the ability to make reparations. This study demonstrated stronger group‐based guilt when reparations were potentially possible and not when they are impossible. Moreover, support for reparations varied as a function of perceived difficulty of reparations and group‐based guilt mediated that relationship. The research has two key implications. First, advocates of reparations as a mechanism for reconciliation and community healing need to consider the degree to which reparations are perceived to be possible and consider ways of addressing those perceptions. Second, the research provides an experimental demonstration to the power of stories about experience to bolster support for social change. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emotion Regulation and Middle School Adjustment in Japanese Girls: Mediation by Perceived Social Support

Prior research has stated that successful emotion regulation (ER) contributes to psychological health and favorable interpersonal relationships. However, few studies have explored adaptive ER strategies in a school setting. The present study targeted Japanese female adolescents and examined the relationship between two specific ER strategies (reappraisal and suppression) and school adjustment, with social support as a mediating variable. Two hundred and seventy Japanese middle school girls completed measures of ER, perceived social support, and subjective school adjustment. The results showed that school adjustment was highest among reappraisers, followed by a balanced group who used both strategies with equal frequency, then suppressors. In addition, reappraisal showed both direct and indirect effects on school adjustment, while suppression showed only a negative indirect effect on school adjustment. Our findings suggest that reappraisal is an effective strategy that promotes receiving social support and consequently enhances school adjustment. Suppression, on the other hand, has neither favorable nor harmful impacts on school adjustment, but may, in the long run, result in poorer adjustment by impairing social relationships among adolescent girls.     

社会支持对青少年创伤后成长的影响:状态希望和积极重评的中介作用

采用创伤暴露程度问卷、社会支持问卷、状态希望量表、认知情绪调节量表和创伤后成长问卷,以雅安地震2.5年后的397名中学生为被试,考察其社会支持、状态希望、积极重评与创伤后成长（PTG）之间的关系。结果发现,雅安地震2.5年后青少年的社会支持可以直接正向预测PTG,不过,在社会支持与PTG之间纳入状态希望和积极重评后,社会支持不能直接地促进PTG,但却可以分别通过状态希望和积极重评来促进PTG,还可以经过状态希望由积极重评的多重中介来正向预测PTG。     

Social allergies in romantic relationships: Behavioral repetition,emotional sensitization,and dissatisfaction in dating couples

A social allergy is a reaction of hypersensitive annoyance or disgust to a repeated behavior. Two studies were conducted on the social allergen categories of uncouth habits, inconsiderate acts, intrusive behaviors, and norm violations. Study 1 focused on hypothetical male and female partner behaviors at 2 and 12 months in a dating relationship. Study 2 obtained reports of social allergens performed by the individual and partner in dating couples, as well as the individual's emotional responses and relationship outcomes. Social allergens were perceived to increase in frequency over time in both studies, with some indications that men were more uncouth and norm violating and women were more inconsiderate and intrusive. Study 2 also found that the more often that the partner performed an allergenic behavior, the stronger was the individual's negative emotional reaction. Further, frequent and emotionally intense social allergens were associated with relationship dissatisfaction, and with termination assessed a year later.     

Parental Representations and Support-Seeking Behaviors Related to Dependency and Self-Criticism

Cognitive and interpersonal models of depression were integrated by examining the links between parental representations and the interpersonal behaviors of individuals at risk for depression. Study 1 assessed the quantity and type of social support associated with Dependency and Self-Criticism. Study 2 examined the parental representations related to these personality styles, in an effort to document cognitive variables that might contribute to interpersonal behaviors. Self-critics were found to be more dysphoric over a 21-day, self-monitoring period, made fewer requests for social support, and showed lower perceptions of support. Peers did not report providing less support to self-critics, but found them less expressive and did not know them as well. Study 2 found pervasive, negative parental representations associated with Self-Criticism providing a cognitive underpinning to social distancing. Dependent participants reported higher levels of support, which was corroborated by the peer reports. Study 2 found Dependency to be related to favorable representation of parents for friendly and submissive, but not hostile, situations. The impact of cognitive representations for interpersonal functioning is highlighted, and reciprocal processes between the two are discussed.     

Social support and work–family conflict: A test of an indirect effects model

Most work–family research on social support is based on matching domain relationships, that is, social support in the work domain is related to work interfering with family conflict (WIF) and social support in the family domain is related to family interfering with work conflict (FIW). In this research, based on the conservation of resources (COR) model, we examined the cross domain indirect relationship between social support in the work domain and FIW and the cross domain indirect relationship between social support in the family domain and WIF. We tested this model across three samples in two studies. In Study 1, we examined the cross domain influence of supervisory and spouse support on work–family conflict using two large random samples (N = 1130; N = 2769). In Study 2, we tested an expanded model of social support to include both generic and work–family specific support, and examined the cross domain indirect relationships between these two types of support on work–family conflict using a sample of 435 employees. Specifically, we proposed that social support systems in the work domain such as family friendly organizational policies, family supportive organizational climate, perceived organizational support, and perceived supervisory support will be indirectly and negatively related to FIW via WIF and that spouse/partner support will be indirectly and negatively related to WIF via FIW. Results for Study 1 provided support for the cross domain indirect effects model and results for Study 2 provided support for the cross domain indirect effects for work–family specific social support systems. We discuss implications of these results for the theory and practice of managing work–family conflict.     

Behavioral manifestations of social support: a microanalytic investigation

This study was designed to examine the specific interpersonal behaviors that convey support from one person to another. Subjects were 41 undergraduate students who completed a general measure of perceived social support and, subsequently, kept daily records of their social interactions and stressful experiences for 14 days. In addition, they completed a brief depressive mood measure (DACL; Lubin, 1981) each day. Results showed that behaviors reflecting emotional support and informational support occurred as a specific response to stressful life events. Although esteem support was expressed with equal frequency in the presence and absence of stress, it was especially effective in preventing depressive reactions to stressful events. Subjects who perceived themselves as having high levels of perceived social support were more frequently the recipients of helping behaviors following stressful events than those low in perceived support. Perceived social support was only predictive of helping behaviors on days on which at least one stressful event occurred. The total number of helping behaviors received following stressful events was a significant negative predictor of level of depressive mood, although one helping behavior was associated with higher levels of depression. Results are interpreted within the framework of the buffering model of social support.     

Forecasting the specific providers that recipients will perceive as unusually supportive

Perceived support primarily reflects the relationships among specific recipients and providers. These strong relational influences suggest a new approach to interventions: Match specific providers with specific recipients so that unusually supportive relationships emerge. For this approach to be successful, progress must be made on several basic research questions. For example, it must be possible to forecast the specific providers that recipients will perceive as unusually supportive (i.e., forecasting relational support). In 2 studies, support recipients had 3 or 5 conversations with the same providers and reported affect, provider supportiveness, and perceived similarity (Study 2 only) after each conversation. Relational support could be forecasted from recipients' reactions to a single, brief conversation with each provider, even after 4 months had elapsed.     

Sociocultural predictors of psychological help-seeking attitudes and behavior among Mexican American college students

Sociocultural variables of acculturation, enculturation, cultural congruity, and perceived social support were used as predictors of psychological help-seeking attitudes and behaviors among 162 Mexican American college students. Multivariate multiple regression analyses indicated that higher cultural congruity, lower perceived social support from family, and higher perceived social support from significant others were significant predictors of positive help-seeking attitudes. In addition, higher acculturation into the dominant society, lower perceived social support from family, and lower perceived social support from friends were significantly predictive of greater help-seeking behavior. Implications for research and practice are discussed.