title: Trait and social processes in the link between social support and affect: an experimental, laboratory investigation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Michigan 48202, USA. lneely@wayne.edu
authors.forename: Lynn C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Neely
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lakey
authors.forename: Jay L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orehek
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Abeare
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mayer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011584:Psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support