Social Support^

Question 1

Social Support

Answer 1

social networks vary in sizes and strength of support offered
small group can offer lot of support

Question 2

Types

Answer 2

Schaefer et al
Instrumental: practical
Emotional: sympathy to improve mood
Esteem: express confidence in them
Can overlap: instrumental support can increase confidence and self-esteem when can improve mood

Question 3

Instrumental Support

Answer 3

practical - phy helping or giving info

Question 4

Emotional Support

Answer 4

express sympathy and concern
make stressed person feel better

Question 5

Esteem Support

Answer 5

reinforce someone’s faith in themselves and ability to handle stressor
express our confidence in them = increase their confidence = decrease stress

Question 6

Cohen et al

Answer 6

can hugs provide protection against stress related infections
called 404 healthy adults every night for 14 days
- monitor amount of hugs received
questionnaire on perceived social support
stress measure = daily interpersonal conflicts
P placed in a quarantine, exposed to cold virus and monitored for signs of illness

Question 7

Cohen et al (Findings)

Answer 7

most conflicts = more likely to become ill
more perceived support = decrease risk of illness
hugs = 1/3 of the protective effect of SS
- most frequent hugs = decrease illness
- if they get ill, the symptoms are less severe

Question 8

Research Support

Answer 8

Fawzy
randomly allocated cancer P to support or CG
SG: P express feelings and get advice on condition
Result: better NK cell functioning than CG after 6 yrs

Question 9

VS Research Support

Answer 9

10 yrs later, results didn’t persist
no diff in recurrences of cancer between SG & CG
slight adv in survival rates
- effects weaker than after 6 yrs follow up

Question 10

Gender Differences

Answer 10

Luckow
women use emo SS to cope with stress more than men
men use instrumental SS more than women
men only benefit from support from others in certain circumstances

Question 11

Negative Effects

Answer 11

SS has neg effects
benefit depends on provider of support and its type
- advice on health is more effective from doc than friend or fam
Emo S can be unhelpful even from F or F
- those insisting for doc appointment = increase nerves

Question 12

Support VS Hardiness

Answer 12

SS less beneficial than H
Kobasa
- being hardy decreases effects of stress
- SS can backfire and have neg effects
- SS not always welcome, while H is reliable buffer VS stress
- some might find it easier to develop H than get friends that offer support