Waxler&Morrison: Social Support To Improve

Question 1

Method?

Answer 1

A quasi experiment with women who were diagnosed with breath cancer.
Independent design as women had existing social networks.

Question 2

PPs?

Answer 2

133 women under 55 years (all pre-menopausal)

Question 3

Procedure?

Answer 3

• patients mailed a self-report to gather info on demography+existing social networks, education level, who responsible for, contact with friends+family, perception of support from others
• given a psychometric test of social network that combined marital status, contact with friends and family and church membership

Question 4

Info about PPs?

Answer 4

• details of diagnosis abstracted from medical records between 1980-81
• survival and recurrence rates checked in medical records in Jan 1985

Question 5

Results?

Answer 5

6 aspects of social network significantly lined with survival:
•marital status
•support from friends
•contact with friends
•total support
•social network
•employment

Question 6

Conclusions?

Answer 6

The more social networks and support, the higher the survival rate of women with breast cancer, although type of cancer was still the main factor in survival.

Question 7

Strengths?

Answer 7

• volunteer sample= can withdraw
• standardised
• self-reports offer insight
• high Eco validity
• supports nurture
• independent measures= no order effects

Question 8

Weaknesses?

Answer 8

• gynocentric
• correlation not causation
• reductionist
• self-reports= social desirability
• independent measures= effected by individual differences
• sent to home, cannot be sure who’s answering
• correlation doesn’t support psy as a science

Question 9

Aim?

Answer 9

To see how social relationships influence response to breast cancer survival.