The Role of Emotion in Social Support Provision: Gender, Empathy and Expressions of Distress

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Abstract
Two studies examined the association between emotion-related factors and intentions to provide social support to a distressed peer. In both studies, providers' gender and their level of dispositional empathy were related to anticipated support provision. Women and persons high in trait empathy were more supportive than men and persons low in trait empathy. Consistent with predictions, the gender effect was largely mediated by that of empathy. Study Two extended these findings by demonstrating that state empathic responses are also substantially associated with support provision, and by exploring the impact of recipients' expression of emotion on empathy and support. As a whole, the studies indicate that emotion plays an important role in support provision in that providers' feelings of concern are a strong determinant of their supportive responses.

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