Positive and negative forms of social support: Effects of conversational topics on coping with stress among same-sex friends

Abstract

We examined the value of various conversational topics among same-sex friends on coping with stress. Talking about one's feelings with a friend in anticipation of a stressful event (guiding a spider through a maze in a participant-modeling task) did less to reduce stress than did talking about problem-solving or unrelated content. Talking about one's feelings was associated with a relatively high level of negative affect (as measured by Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist Today Form scores on anxiety and depression). The results indicate that the nature of social interactions must be assessed to determine whether social support will be beneficial or not. Interaction with friends may help or hinder how well one copes with stress depending on the type of contact that occurs.