Who Gets Social Support, Who Gives It, and How It’s Related to Recipient’s Mood

Abstract

We sought to identify personal characteristics associated with receiving and perceiving social support, and characteristics of support providers who give the most support and are perceived as the most available. In samples of students ( n = 755) and community adults ( n = 430), we found that people who were younger, female, more extraverted, more conscientious, and more open received and perceived more support. Female providers and romantic partners were associated with more support whereas coworkers were associated with less. In many cases, social support mediated associations between these characteristics and recipient mood. For instance, recipients reported they experience more positive mood and less negative mood when interacting with female providers. These associations were partly explained by increased received and perceived support from female providers. Notable differences emerged between received support and perceived support, and between the student and community samples. Implications for increasing support for poorly supported individuals are discussed.

Important Goals, Meanings, and Relationships in Flourishing and Languishing States: Towards Patterns of Well-being

“…An individual level variable that may explain some differences in the dynamics and patterns of well-being is personality-not explored in this study, but shown in previous research to be linked to well-being facets (Ryff 2014;Schotanus-Dijkstra et al 2016;Williamson and O'Hara 2017). Hentschel et al (2017) found that personality plays a role in well-being, and together with life events explained 30% of well-being variance.…”

When we say “perceived support,” what do we mean? Contexts and components of support among people with serious medical conditions

“…One key line of research has focused on the component of perceived support availability, which has strong associations with health outcomes (Cohen et al, 2001;Uchino, 2009aUchino, , 2009b. This component involves a person's script for typical supportive interactions (Brunson et al, 2015;Lakey & Cohen, 2000;Pierce et al, 1997) and is typically conceptualized as a unidimensional construct with support availability versus unavailability as opposite poles of a single dimension (Goodenow et al, 1990;Williamson & O'Hara, 2017).…”

Indirect Effects of Social Support on Psychological Health Through Self-Esteem in Emerging Adulthood

“…Among adolescents, higher levels of perceived social support increased overall adjustment, increased adaptive behaviors, and decreased externalizing problems in women, whereas perceived social support increased adaptive behaviors and decreased internalizing problems in men (Rueger et al, 2008). Researchers suggest that outcome differences may be attributed to an increased saliency for social support among women (Bámaca-Colbert et al, 2017; Williamson & O’Hara, 2017).…”

“…For adolescents, teachers, classmates, close friends, and school personnel supported females more (Rueger, Malecki, & Demaray, 2010; Williamson & O’Hara, 2017). Women also reported more social support from close friends and mothers, whereas men reported most of their support from their teachers and fathers (Colarossi & Eccles, 2003; Rueger et al, 2010; Williamson & O’Hara, 2017). As individuals age, parental support decreased and peer support became more important (Larsen et al, 2012).…”