Despite considerable research that has demonstrated the positive aspects of social support, little is known about the mechanisms that influence the experience of feeling supported. This study examined the association between proximal (e.g., support content) and distal (e.g., marital satisfaction) factors and the experience of feeling supported by one's partner. Sixty-one married couples participated in an interactive support exercise using a talk-table. Coders were asked to provide on-line ratings of perceived support helpfulness. The supportive interaction was coded using the Social Support Behavior Code. Women were more influenced by immediate aspects of the supportive interaction, and men were more influenced by distal relationship factors. Esteem support was associated with higher ratings of support helpfulness. Gender may moderate the impact of proximal and distal factors on feeling supported during a couple's interaction.
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Carels et al. (1999) studied this question.