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Related Experiment Videos

Choosing optimal support groups: a review and reformulation

P Messeri1, M Silverstein, E Litwak

  • 1Columbia University School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032.

Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|June 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
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Social support network configuration is complex. This study proposes Litwak

Area of Science:

  • Social Gerontology
  • Sociology of Aging
  • Social Networks

Background:

  • Empirical research extensively covers the division of supportive and caregiving services within social networks.
  • However, the underlying principles governing the structure and configuration of social support networks remain poorly understood.
  • Existing prominent models include Cantor's (1979) and Shanas' (1979) hierarchical-compensatory model and Litwak's (1985) task-specific model.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate and compare the hierarchical-compensatory and task-specific models of social support network configuration.
  • To propose that the hierarchical-compensatory model is a specific instance of the broader task-specific model.
  • To demonstrate the wider applicability of the task-specific model in understanding social support choices.

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Main Methods:

  • Conceptual summary of the major features of both the hierarchical-compensatory and task-specific models.
  • Qualitative review of 16 key empirical studies investigating social support network structures.
  • Meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the empirical support for the task-specific model's broader application.

Main Results:

  • The conceptual features of both models were summarized and compared.
  • A qualitative review of 16 studies was conducted.
  • A meta-analysis provided evidence supporting the broader applicability of the task-specific model over the hierarchical-compensatory model.

Conclusions:

  • The task-specific model offers a more comprehensive framework for understanding social support network configuration.
  • The hierarchical-compensatory model can be viewed as a special case within the task-specific model.
  • Findings support the utility of the task-specific model in explaining choices within social support systems.