Examining Family Communication Patterns and Seeking Social Support Direct and Indirect Effects Through Ability and Motivation. (1st October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: High, Andrew C.; Scharp, Kristina M.
• Is Part Of: Human communication research. Volume 41:Number 4(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 459
• Page End: 479
• Publication Date: 2015-10-01
• Subjects: Supportive Communication -- Support Seeking -- Communicative Ability -- Motivation to Seek Support -- Family Communication Patterns -- Indirect Effects -- Moderated Mediation; Communication -- Periodicals; 302.2
• DOI: 10.1111/hcre.12061
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0360-3989

Abstract

Abstract: Seeking social support remains a relatively understudied aspect of supportive communication. By integrating the literatures on family communication patterns (FCPs) and supportive communication, this study examines dispositional factors that influence support seeking in particular situations. Specifically, communicative ability and motivation to seek support were theorized to mediate the relationship between FCPs and recalled strategies of support seeking. Results from a sample (N = 352) of undergraduate students not only demonstrate that people's FCPs impart different levels of communicative ability and motivation to seek support, but also indirectly influence people's strategies of support seeking. Ability and motivation also directly influence support seeking, and several of these effects are moderated by participants' sex.