Supportive people evoke positive affect, but do not reduce negative affect, while supportive groups result from...

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Group Dynamics

Background:

• Investigated understudied aspects of social support.
• Examined the impact of consensually supportive providers on recipient affect.
• Explored differences in group supportiveness and its effect on members.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if consensually supportive providers evoke more favorable affect.
• To assess if group supportiveness influences member affect.
• To investigate if dyadic relationships explain group differences in supportiveness.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed data from seven samples including well-acquainted groups and strangers.
• Participants rated each other on perceived supportiveness.
• Measured affect experienced during interactions with group members.

Main Results:

• Consensually supportive providers elicited higher positive affect but not lower negative affect.
• Supportive groups evoked higher positive and lower negative affect in members.
• Group supportiveness and affect were primarily explained by dyadic relationships within groups.

Conclusions:

• Findings on consensually supportive providers and negative affect challenge existing social support theories.
• The impact of supportive groups on affect may stem from individual dyadic relationships.
• Group effects on affect were observed in both established and newly formed groups.