Religiosity, Spirituality, and the Subjective Quality of African American Men's Friendships: An Exploratory Study

The present study fills a crucial gap in literature surrounding the lives of African American men by exploring factors that shape the quality of these men's friendships. Drawing on data from a sample of 171 African American men, the study examines the relative utility of subjective religiosity, subjective spirituality, advice exchange, and affective sharing as predictors of the level of perceived support from male and female friends. Findings reveal age differences in subjective religiosity, subjective spirituality, and in level of advice and affective exchange in men's same-sex as well as cross-sex friendships. Age differences emerged in men's perceptions of the supportiveness of their friendships with women but not with men. Age was not a predictor of perceived supportiveness of same-sex or cross-sex friendships. Subjective religiosity did not predict support in same-sex or cross-sex friendships. Subjective spirituality positively predicted perceived support in men's same-sex friendships but not in cross-sex friendships. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

A Multimethod Exploration of the Friendships of Children Considered Socially Withdrawn by Their School Peers

Friendships of children considered socially withdrawn by their school peers were investigated within a population of elementary school children. Reciprocal friends were identified by a friendship nomination procedure; social withdrawal was assessed by peer nominations. Trained graduate students rated videotapes of dyads of friends (n = 58 dyads, of which 29 contained at least one withdrawn child) for selected features of friendship quality. In addition, each friend within a dyad provided ratings of the quality of the relationship. The videotaped data showed the withdrawn children to be somewhat restricted in their verbal communication with their friends, and less competitive with their friends, than were friends in a comparison group. In dyads consisting of one withdrawn and one nonwithdrawn child, the withdrawn child perceived the relationship as characterized by greater closeness and helpfulness than did the nonwithdrawn friend. Despite some signs of inhibited behavior within the friendship context, withdrawn children seem to have access to close friendships of high quality.     

Friendships,Subjective Age,and Life Satisfaction of Women in Midlife

The authors conducted a study of 422 women, ages 31 to 77 years, to explore the relationships among friendship networks, subjective age, and life satisfaction. Friendship network size was related to lower subjective age but not to chronological age. More frequent visits with friends were related to lower subjective age and to higher life satisfaction. Satisfaction with the number of friends and a larger number of friends were related to higher levels of life satisfaction. Subjective age, group belonging, and being someone's best friend were significant predictors of life satisfaction.     

Friendships Lost: The Social Consequences of Violent Victimization

Few studies have examined the impact of violent victimization on friendship networks. This study used 2 waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to examine the effects of violent victimization on number of peer- and self-reported friendships. Guided by stigma theory (Goffman, 1963), fixed-effect regression models controlling for depression, delinquency, substance use, and school engagement were completed to predict changes in number of friends following victimization. Consistent with the theory, results indicate that experiencing violent victimization (e.g., jumped, stabbed, shot at) was associated with a decrease in number of friends. These effects were magnified for females and for individuals with a greater number of depressive symptoms. These results were consistent even when models were run separately for each individual type of victimization. Treatment and prevention implications are discussed.     

Effects of Self-Compassion and Social Support on Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual College Students' Positive Identity and Career Decision-Making

The purpose of this study was to explore the serial mediating effects of self-compassion and social support on the relationship between positive identity and career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) college students. A total of 222 LGB (109 bisexual, 113 lesbian/gay) students participated in the study. Results supported the mediating roles of self-compassion and social support. Specifically, self-compassion and social support sequentially mediated the relationship between positive identity and CDMSE, and the patterns of the sequence of the mediators were different between the bisexual and lesbian/gay groups. Implications for career counselors and future research are discussed.     

领悟社会支持、实际社会支持与大学生抑郁

该研究以316名大学生为被试,探讨了领悟社会支持和实际社会支持与大学生抑郁之间的关系。结构方程模型的分析表明,大学生对当前社会支持的领悟对抑郁具有直接的缓冲作用;实际社会支持主要通过领悟社会支持对大学生的抑郁情绪起缓冲作用。研究结果暗示着,领悟社会支持是一种在应对压力情境中发展起来的特质或图式,在个体应对压力时表现为一种弹性人格,从而防止消极情绪的恶化或产生。     

5·12四川地震灾民社会支持的调查

使用自编地震灾民社会支持感知量表（Perceived Social Support Scale for Earthquake Survivors, PSSS-ES）和贝克抑郁量表测查德阳、绵竹和什邡共304名灾民,以此检验自编地震灾民社会支持量表的信效度,并考察5·12地震灾民的社会支持感知状况及其与抑郁之间的关系。研究结果显示,PSSS-ES由12个题项组成,包含工具性支持、信息性支持和情感性支持三个维度;各维度题项的探索性因素分析因素负荷分别为0.50~0.86、0.70~0.85、0.66~0.85,累积方差贡献率为 58.98%;PSSS-ES整体及3个维度的内部一致性系数分别为0.85、0.63、0.72和0.84;三个分量表之间的相关系数介于0.41~0.51。低社会支持组的抑郁量表得分显著高于高社会支持组。PSSS-ES是测量地震灾民社会支持较为有效的工具。总体来说灾民在各方面都得到了一定的社会支持,但在信息性支持方面相对欠缺,而该方面又与抑郁症状呈较高负相关     

社会支持与身心健康关系研究述评

该研究从社会支持的概念入手．探讨了社会支持的结构与测量．社会支持对身心健康影响的作用模型,影响社会支持的因素,并对研究中存在的问题及研究方向进行了探讨。     

老年人社会支持与期望的调查研究

运用问卷调查法,通过对272名城市老年人的调查,考察了老年人的社会支持与期望的现状及其特点。结果发现:老年人的社会支持系统很不平衡,性别、年龄、受教育年限和职业对老年人的婚姻和家庭生活,人际关系和互助行为,住房情况和经济状况,以及心理需要和社会期望等具有不同的影响;相当比例的老年人在不同侧面尚需要家人和社会的关注、理解和支持。     

Length and Locus of Friendship Influence Church Members' Sense of Social Support and Comfort with Sharing Emotions

ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether older people involved with religious congregations differentiate their friends within the congregation from their friends outside the congregation in terms of perceptions of social support and their comfort with sharing various positive and negative emotions. The study also examined older adults' perceptions of differences in social support and comfort with sharing emotions with friends they have known a long time and friends they have known for three years or less. The results showed significant differences between long time friends and new friends in terms of a stronger sense of social support and greater comfort with sharing positive and negative emotions. No differences were noted for social support or comfort with sharing emotions in comparisons of friends within and outside of congregations. Study participants were significantly more comfortable sharing positive emotions than negative emotions with all categories of friends and there was a significant positive relation between social support and comfort with sharing emotions. Results are discussed in terms of the types of congregations to which the participants belonged and the role of congregational leaders in providing opportunities for older people to develop and sustain friendships within the faith community.     

社会退缩青少年的友谊特点

用社会测量法和问卷法调查了初一到初三120对社会退缩儿童友伴的友谊状况。结果显示:(1)退缩男孩组的友谊质量低于女孩组和混合性别组;(2)与非退缩对照组儿童的友谊相比,退缩儿童在班级内的地位较为不利,但其友谊能够发挥正常的功能;(3)多元回归表明受欺侮和亲密交流对退缩行为的正向预测作用较强。建议从群体角度、友谊特性及适应后果等不同层面来综合判断儿童的社会退缩行为。     

The Social Networks of Women Experiencing Domestic Violence

The research literature has demonstrated that battered women living in shelters experience impaired social support. This study examines this phenomenon among battered women living in the community. This study compared a group of pregnant battered women (n = 145) and a group of pregnant nonbattered women (n = 58) in terms of their structural [e.g., total number of supporters, network members in violent relationships with their partners (an index of homophily or nonhomophily) and functional (e.g., emotional)] social support. Four reasons for impaired support in battered women were proposed and examined, including social isolation, failure to disclose abuse, homophily, and low SES. Only homophily was related to impaired support among battered women. In addition, the relationship between structural and functional support and mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, self-esteem) was examined. Criticism, practical support, homophily, and disclosure were all significant predictors of mental health for battered women. Implications for community-based interventions are discussed in the context of current intervention strategies with battered women.     

Social Distribution of Social Support: The Mediating Role of Life Events

Although the relation of socioeconomic status (SES) to social support has been discussed for some time, researchers have rarely systematically examined the social patterning of this resource. In addition, potential explanatory mechanisms have not been investigated. This study examined both the social distribution of social support and the role of life events in the association between SES and social support in a nationally representative probability sample of adults from the National Cormorbidity Survey. Higher education and income were related to more emotional support and fewer negative interactions. Individuals with higher incomes were also less likely to report acute and chronic life events. Finally, acute (but not chronic) life events mediated the relation between SES and social support (both emotional support and negative interactions). These results suggest the inability of lower SES individuals to mobilize social support in times of need may be explained by their more frequent experience of acute life events.     

Social Anxiety and Friendship Quality over Time

Abstract

High social anxiety in adults is associated with self-report of impaired friendship quality, but not necessarily with impairment reported by friends. Further, prospective prediction of social anxiety and friendship quality over time has not been tested among adults. We therefore examined friendship quality and social anxiety prospectively in 126 young adults (67 primary participants and 59 friends, aged 17–22 years); the primary participants were screened to be extreme groups to increase power and relevance to clinical samples (i.e., they were recruited based on having very high or very low social interaction anxiety). The prospective relationships between friendship quality and social anxiety were then tested using an Actor–Partner Interdependence Model. Friendship quality prospectively predicted social anxiety over time within each individual in the friendship, such that higher friendship quality at Time 1 predicted lower social anxiety approximately 6 months later at Time 2. Social anxiety did not predict friendship quality. Although the results support the view that social anxiety and friendship quality have an important causal relationship, the results run counter to the assumption that high social anxiety causes poor friendship quality. Interventions to increase friendship quality merit further consideration.     

Profiles of Anticipated Support: Religion's Place in the Composition of Americans’ Emotional Support Networks

In this article we analyze the role of religion in the composition of Americans’ networks of anticipated emotional support. Drawing on data from the National Survey of Religion and Family Life, which contains information on multiple sources of potential emotional support, we use latent class analysis to uncover four different anticipated support profiles, which are organized along two dimensions of variation: religiosity and breadth. We label these profiles religious, secular, broad, and limited. Our analyses demonstrate associations between these anticipated support profiles and a person's gender, family status, age, race, socioeconomic status, and religious involvement. For instance, we find that Catholics are more likely than non‐Catholics to have secular rather than religious support profiles, and African Americans tend to have profiles that are either religious or limited. Finally, we show that these profiles have implications for well‐being. We contribute to research on religion and emotional support by describing how religious and secular sources combine into overall anticipated support profiles. Our conclusion addresses the implications of these findings for current scholarship on religion and emotional support networks.     

Friendship Quality and Social Development

A high-quality friendship is characterized by high levels of prosocial behavior, intimacy, and other positive features, and low levels of conflicts, rivalry, and other negative features. Friendship quality has been assumed to have direct effects on many aspects of children's social development, including their self-esteem and social adjustment. Recent research suggests, however, that friendship quality affects primarily children's success in the social world of peers. Friendship quality could also have indirect effects, by magnifying or diminishing the influence of friends on each other's attitudes and behaviors. Having high-quality friendships may lessen children's tendencies to imitate the behavior of shy and withdrawn friends, but little evidence supports the hypothesis that high-quality friendships magnify friends' influence.     

留守青少年的社会支持网络与其抑郁、孤独之间的关系——基于变量中心和个体中心的视角

以来自河南省农村的400名双亲外出、单亲外出和非留守青少年为被试,考察了他们的社会支持网络状况,及其与青少年抑郁、孤独的关系.变量中心和个体中心的分析均表明,青少年所知觉的来自父亲、母亲、同学和老师的支持具有一致性,同一环境中各类社会支持的一致性更高.变量中心的分析发现,总体上,老师支持和父亲支持能够显著地预测青少年的抑郁水平,母亲支持和同学支持能够显著地预测青少年的孤独.但是,不同社会支持源的预测作用因青少年留守状况的不同而不同.个体中心的分析发现,处于高母亲/高父亲/高同学/高老师支持网络下青少年的抑郁和孤独水平低于其他支持网络中的青少年.     

我国老年人的社会支持与服务

鉴于我国老龄化现状,简要地回顾了社会支持的定义与种类,考察了我国传统的孝顺价值观和行为;并着重分析了我国老年人的社会支持与服务,包括老年人的社会支持与幸福感,老年人的家庭支持与照料,老年组织与公共老年服务;以及我国老年人社会支持的城乡差异。     

Social Networks and Homelessness Among Women Heads of Household

To examine possible bidirectional relationships between homelessness and deficient social networks, we compared the networks of 251 mothers before, and approximately 5 years after, their families entered shelters with networks of 291 consistently housed poor mothers. At Time 1, more women on the verge of homelessness than housed women reported that they had mothers, grandmothers, friends, and relatives but fewer believed these network members were housing resources. At Time 2, after homeless women were rehoused, these network differences between consistently housed and formerly homeless women had largely disappeared. Contrary to prior research findings, formerly homeless mothers did not report smaller networks, more children or fewer partners. However, formerly homeless women did report fewer positive functions. Because of city policies, homeless mothers were frequently rehoused far from network members.