Emotional and instrumental support provision interact to predict well-being.

ABSTRACT: Individuals in close relationships help each other in many ways, from listening to each other's problems, to making each other feel understood, to providing practical support. However, it is unclear if these supportive behaviors track each other across days and as stable tendencies in close relationships. Further, although past work suggests that giving support improves providers' well-being, the specific features of support provision that improve providers' psychological lives remain unclear. We addressed these gaps in knowledge through a daily diary study that comprehensively assessed support provision and its effects on well-being. We found that providers' emotional support (e.g., empathy) and instrumental support represent distinct dimensions of support provision, replicating prior wor

SUBMITTER: Morelli SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4516598 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature