Social Support

• Social Support:

  ·         Most people have a social network

  ·         It may include friends, family, colleagues

  ·         There are different types of support that might be provided
• Instrumental support:


  ·         This is practical support

  ·         Could be physically doing something such as cooking a meal, giving someone a lift, lending money

  ·         Could involve giving information: telling someone how they can cope with stress, giving them the bus times
• Emotional Support:


  ·         Feelings!

  ·         We provide emotional support when we express warmth, concern, concern, affection, empathy or love for someone

  ·         Its not practical but might make people feel better and lift their mood
• Esteem support:


  ·         We give this when feel that someone needs to have more faith in their abilities

  ·         Example: we might express confidence in them

  ·         This then increases their feelings of self-efficacy and self-esteem.
• Benefits:

  ·         Buffering hypothesis: social support from the negative effects of stress by creating a psychological distance (buffer zone).

  ·         This is a cognitive process- our support network gives us breathing space to think about the stressor differently

  ·         This therefore allows us to cope better

  ·         Direct effect hypothesis:

  ·         This states that social support is beneficial at all times not just during stress

  ·         It has positive effects on our health and wellbeing

  ·         It helps us relax and therefore reduces arousal on our nervous system.
• Relationship between types:


  ·         The three types of support are not independent

  ·         They overlap, and you often use more than one at any one time

  ·         Instrumental support can sometimes come across as a bit cold, however this is not necessarily true

  ·         All 3 types can be given without the supporter being physically present.
• Strengths

  ·         Social support is evident in the variety of cultures, however there may be differences in the 3 types and what it looks like

  ·         Social support is effective and can reduce stress
• Weakness:


  ·         Could backfire and can have negative effects

  ·         It depends who provides it and when