The impact of alternative approaches to comforting,closeness of relationship,and gender on multiple measures of effectiveness |
| |
| Authors: | Ruth Anne Clark Amy J Pierce Kathleen Finn Karen Hsu Adam Toosley Lionel Williams |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Speech Communication , University of Illinois , 244 Lincoln Hall, 702 S. Wright St., Urbana, IL, 61801 E-mail: racspcom@uiuc.edu;2. Doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois;3. Consultant for Andersen Consulting;4. Student in the college of Law , Indiana University;5. Student in the College of Law , University of Illinois |
| |
| Abstract: | The impact of 6 approaches to comforting (suggesting a diversion, expressing optimism, providing an external account, offering assistance, explaining the perspective of the offender, and a combination of the first 5), attributed to either a good friend or a casual acquaintance, was assessed for 2 situations by 394 students. Distressed individuals responded to comforting messages along two dimension: feeling less upset and feeling demeaned, with some indications that yet a third dimension (appreciating the concern of the comforter) may exist. The message that combined elements from the other 5 approaches yielded generally the most positive responses, but responses to specific message approaches varied with situation and dimension of response. Messages from good friends were more successful than those from casual acquaintances in helping the distressed individual to feel less upset. |
| |
| Keywords: | comforting social support message effects distress |
|
|
