Title: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: The social support exchange process
Abstract: THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS: THE SOCIAL SUPPORT EXCHANGE PROCESS by Rifky Tkatch December 2010 Advisor: Dr. Antonia Abbey Major: Psychology (Cognitive, Developmental, and Social Psychology) Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Social support is a dyadic exchange process that yields many psychological and physiological health benefits. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of the support exchange process from a dyadic perspective on health outcomes and to investigate the extent that gender and relationship characteristics influence the support process and health outcomes. It was hypothesized that female patients would report seeking more support and male patients would report receiving more support. In addition, it was expected that patient seeking support would be associated with both partner provision and patient receipt of support. It was also hypothesized that patients’ receipt of support would be predictive of better health outcomes. Among a sample of 195 cardiac rehabilitation patients and their self-selected support partners, the current study examined three dimensions of health-related social support: patient seeking, partner providing, and patient receiving. In addition, patients’ gender, characteristics of their relationship to the support provider, and living with support partners were included as cross-sectional predictors of support and health outcomes. The support variables, gender, and relationship characteristics were examined on the health outcomes of
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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