Social Support as Mediator of the Stress Buffering Effect of Optimism: The Importance of Differentiating the Recipients’ and Providers’ Perspective

Abstract

Using a dyadic design, this longitudinal study with 85 couples examined whether the stress buffering effect of optimism is due to an actual higher availability of social support or to positive illusions about available social support by taking simultaneously the recipients' and the providers' perspective on social support into account. At baseline, optimism and social support from the recipients' and the providers' perspective were assessed. Perceived stress was measured at 3 months follow‐up. Actor–Partner Interdependence Models showed that optimism was prospectively related to lower stress. Social support from the recipients', but not from the providers' perspective, partially mediated this relationship. The results suggest that optimists hold positive illusions about available support and that these illusions account at least partly for the stress buffering effect. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Being and feeling liked by others: How social inclusion impacts health

“…For instance, children's perceived loneliness was moderately related to the actual acceptance by their peers (Asher & Wheeler, 1985;Parker & Asher, 1993). Similarly, findings from research on social support show a moderate relationship between the provider's and the recipient's perspectives (Knoll, Burkert, Luszczynska, Roigas, & Gralla, 2011;Luszczynska, Boehmer, Knoll, Schulz, & Schwarzer, 2007;Vollmann, Antoniw, Hartung, & Renner, 2011). Hence, people did perceive acceptance and social support provided by the social environment.…”

“…To date, research has yielded mixed results. Whereas research from Brendgen and Vitaro (2008) or House and colleagues (1988) suggests that actual social inclusion impacts health, studies on social support suggest that perceived inclusion might override actual social inclusion (Scholz, Knoll, Roigas, & Gralla, 2008;Vollmann et al, 2011). For instance, Vollmann and colleagues (2011) found that positive illusions about available social support, that is, perceived support rather than the support actually provided, buffered the negative effect of stress within couples.…”

“…For instance, research on social support has taken a dyadic perspective assessing social support within couples (e.g. Bolger, Zuckerman, & Kessler, 2000;Vollmann et al, 2011). Although romantic partners are an important source of social support, social inclusion is typically based on a broader social environment.…”

Distinct oxytocin effects on belief updating in response to desirable and undesirable feedback

“…For example, optimistic updating facilitates individuals' subjective well-being, physical healthy and success, buffers stress, and reduces anxiety (1,(26)(27)(28). Optimism also modulates social relations such that more optimistic individuals have better social connections (28), obtain greater social support (29), have larger social networks (30), and maintain better marital and parental relationships (31,32). Given these positive effects of optimistic updating for social adaptation and the important role of OT in social adaptation (5), here we predicted that IN-OT would increase optimistic belief updating.…”

Traducción y adaptación transcultural de la escala Life Orientation Test- Revised para medir optimismo disposicional en cuidadores de pacientes con cáncer en Colombia

“…El optimismo disposicional se ha asociado con una buena percepción de apoyo social [10], con la generación de imágenes más vívidas sobre los eventos positivos que se quieren experimentar [11] y puede ayudar a proteger al individuo de la ansiedad y la depresión en momentos en que el logro no es alcanzado [12]. En una revisión sistemática [8] algunos hallazgos resaltan la importancia del optimismo cuando se padecen enfermedades crónicas: bajos niveles de ansiedad y depresión a través de los seguimientos en pacientes con cáncer de mama, influencia indirecta en comportamientos relacionados con la salud en pacientes con problemas cardiovasculares, reducción en la incidencia de enfermedad coronaria en mujeres y promoción del bienestar subjetivo y de comportamientos protectores.…”