Investigating the effectiveness of social support based on self-regulation needs

Abstract

This study investigated whether enacted social support was effective in a Japanese population based on the regulatory effectiveness of support (RES). RES is the extent to which social support can satisfy two needs (truth and control) concerning the recipient’s self-regulation. In this study, participants were asked to recall support they received from a long-term partner (Study 1) or a non-family member or non-partner (Study 2) for a difficulty they faced. Furthermore, they indicated RES, perceived responsiveness (PR) of the supporter, motivation, and mood for self-regulation. Data from 239 adults in Study 1 and 221 undergraduates in Study 2 were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that RES consisted of the abovementioned factors (truth and control) and was a different construct from PR. Furthermore, regression analyses found that RES was associated with motivation for self-regulation and high arousal-positive mood compared to PR. These results suggest the importance of RES in Japan. Finally, the implications and limitations of this study are discussed.