ABSTRACT
During the last 10 years, considerable research has focused on the cognitive and motivational factors underlying the production of comforting behaviors, thos e actions directed at managing the emotional distress of others (e .g ., Applegate, 1980; Applegate, Burke, Burleson, Delia, & Kline, 1985; Bar-Tal, Raviv, & Goldberg, 1982; Burleson, 1982, 1983a, 1984a; Eisenberg-Berg & Lennon, 1980; Samter & Burleson, 1984; Strayer, 1981; Yarrow & Waxler, 1976; ZahnWaxler, Iannotti, & Chapman, 1982) . The aim of this research has been to (a) identify the types of knowledge needed to generate highly sophisticated, sensitive comforting strategies, and (b) understand how personality and situational factors affect the motivation to construct such strategies. This research has led to a better understanding of how demographic factors, social cognition, value orientations, and features of interpersonal relationships affect the use of sensitive comforting messages (for reviews, see Burleson, 1984b, 1985) . It has also contributed to an improved understanding of message production processes in general (see Burleson , 1987).
