TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of support seeker expectations in supportive communication
AU - Rains, Stephen A.
AU - Akers, Chelsie
AU - Pavlich, Corey A.
AU - Tsetsi, Eric
AU - Ashtaputre, Anjali
AU - Lutovsky, Bethany R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 National Communication Association.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - This project examined the influence of social support seekers’ expectations on their perceptions, behaviors, and the outcomes of supportive conversations. An experiment was conducted in which participants were grouped into dyads and randomly assigned to the role of support seeker or support provider. Seekers’ expectations about the (un)helpfulness of providers were manipulated prior to their conversation. Seekers’ expectations influenced their evaluations of the quality of providers’ feedback and, ultimately, the degree to which their emotional distress was reduced. Although seekers’ expectations did not impact the messages they produced, seekers’ discussion volume, use of approach behaviors, and use of avoidance behaviors tended to be associated with the level of person centeredness in providers' feedback.
AB - This project examined the influence of social support seekers’ expectations on their perceptions, behaviors, and the outcomes of supportive conversations. An experiment was conducted in which participants were grouped into dyads and randomly assigned to the role of support seeker or support provider. Seekers’ expectations about the (un)helpfulness of providers were manipulated prior to their conversation. Seekers’ expectations influenced their evaluations of the quality of providers’ feedback and, ultimately, the degree to which their emotional distress was reduced. Although seekers’ expectations did not impact the messages they produced, seekers’ discussion volume, use of approach behaviors, and use of avoidance behaviors tended to be associated with the level of person centeredness in providers' feedback.
KW - Social support
KW - behavioral confirmation
KW - support seeking
KW - supportive communication
KW - verbal person centeredness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081726562&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85081726562&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/03637751.2020.1737326
DO - 10.1080/03637751.2020.1737326
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081726562
SN - 0363-7751
VL - 87
SP - 445
EP - 463
JO - Communication Monographs
JF - Communication Monographs
IS - 4
ER -