Chapter 30: Personality and Social Support

Personality and Social Support , detailing personality and social support processes, establishes social support as a vital and common coping response, particularly during high-stress events, noting that individuals with lower support were more negatively affected by traumatic events like the September 11th attacks. Social support is generally defined as the perception that an individual is cared for, loved, and valued by others, which enhances feelings of personal control in managing life's uncertainties. The construct is divided into two major factors: functional support, encompassing the perceived availability of support and the support actually received, including elements like belonging and tangible assistance; and structural support, which reflects an individual’s degree of embeddedness within a social network, often quantified by network size and density. Individuals tend to rely more heavily on the perception of support availability (a form of functional support) when judging their overall sense of support. Functional support is primarily associated with the stress-buffering role, helping to reduce the experience of stress and anxiety by fostering a less negative interpretation of stressors. Structural support is tied to the main-effect model, providing benefits like reduced mortality and disease resistance regardless of the individual’s current stress level. The relationship between personality and social support is explained by three mechanisms: reactive interaction, where personality influences how supportive behaviors are perceived; evocative interaction, where personality dictates the supportive responses an individual solicits from others; and proactive interaction, where individuals actively select and shape their social environments. Examining the Five-Factor Model reveals key differences: Extraversion shows the most consistent association with support, relating strongly to increased support-seeking, larger social networks, and greater perceived availability of functional support, often mediating positive outcomes like lower depression. Conversely, Neuroticism is linked to social withdrawal during stress, more negative social interactions, and is negatively related to perceived support satisfaction and availability. Agreeableness is associated with maintaining positive relationships, seeking support, and greater perception of support availability. Conscientiousness is positively linked to perceived support availability and satisfaction, but negatively to received support, potentially due to the high-Conscientiousness individual’s competence reducing their need for aid. Finally, Openness requires further research for definitive conclusions, though it shows a modest association with network size.