Seeking support in response to social and achievement stressors: a multi-venue analysis

Social support is the subject of much research, but comparatively little attention has been paid to support seeking. Moreover, what research exists on support seeking has primarily addressed in-person support seeking, despite the proliferation of new support venues (e.g., Facebook, websites, etc.). The present paper examines support seeking behavior men (N=41) and women (N=97) exhibit in response to various types of stressors. Results indicate that (1) in-person support seeking remains the most popular form, (2) compared to achievement stressors, social stressors are more likely to result in emotional support seeking rather than instrumental support seeking, and (3) men may engage in more support seeking than has been previously suggested by the literature, particularly in electronic venues.