Social Support

• Instrumental support -> practical help, physical (e.g. lift to hospital), giving information (e.g. bus times).
• Emotional support -> feelings, expressing warmth, concern, etc, offers comfort and lifts mood.
• Esteem support -> express confidence in someone, increases self-efficacy, and self-esteem.
• The buffering hypothesis of social support -> support gives the psychological distance from the stressor ('buffer zone'). Only helps during stress.
• Direct effects hypothesis of social support -> support helps at all times, reduces physiological arousal.
• Evaluation of social support (positives) -> practical uses, support for effectiveness.
• Evaluation of social support (negatives) -> risk of backfiring, feeling like you need to rely on others for support can potentially create more anxiety.