ABSTRACT
This chapter assumes that the motivation to extend social support is governed by specific emotions and cognitions, among them outcome expectancies and self-efficacy expectancies. Two experiments were conducted to explore this assumption, Study I dealing with outcome expectancy and Study II dealing with self-efficacy expectancy. In Study I, outcome expectancies toward eight disease-related stigmas and the intention to extend social support were examined with two experimental conditions. Study II was a similar experiment pursuing the notion that the motivation to help is affected by the belief that one can be effective as a helper. It examines whether self-efficacy expectancy for helping a rape victim served as a mediator of the relationship between recipient characteristics and support intentions. The recipient characteristics assessed were victim coping and controllability of the assault. Both pity and self-efficacy expectancy emerged as good predictors of support, whereas controllability and coping were of lesser influence.
