Abstract
In this paper we will review the research we have been doing over the last few years attempting to differentiate among the various facets of the social support construct. We will cite both correlational questionnaire studies as well as behavioral studies, and will conclude with the opinion that the effects of support are much more complicated than the original proponents of the concept had imagined. In all probability, we will raise more questions than we answer, and will offer the hypothesis that the effectiveness of support may not reside in any particular behavior of significant others, but in how that behavior and ensuing relationships are perceived. We also will suggest that individuals are not simply passive recipients of support, but in part, determine the nature of the supportive behavior they receive from others.
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© 1985 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht
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Heller, K., Lakey, B. (1985). Perceived Support and Social Interaction Among Friends and Confidants. In: Sarason, I.G., Sarason, B.R. (eds) Social Support: Theory, Research and Applications. NATO ASI Series, vol 24. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5115-0_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5115-0_16
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