ABSTRACT
Years of research have uncovered a great deal about the complexity of social support (Sarason & Sarason, 1985; Sarason, Sarason, & Pierce, 1990; Vaux, 1988). Overall, social support is depicted as a valuable commodity. Those who receive social support exhibit better physical health and emotional well-being than those who do not (Vaux, 1988). In addition, at times of high stress, those who experience greater social support are less likely to display the negative sequalae that otherwise accompanies stress. What remains to be determined is the process by which social support’s benefits are derived, or a theory that might predict both the support process and the outcomes of social support transactions (Hobfoll, 1986).
