Deck 8: Social Support and Health

Question 1

Measures of functional support include:

A) Density and size of social network
B) Number of social contacts
C) Connectedness via social media
D) Perceived or actual availability of support
E) Number of social interactions per day

Answer 1

Perceived or actual availability of support

Question 2

In a smoking cessation intervention, family members of smokers are encouraged to attend the cessation classes. This is an example of:

A) Informational support
B) Emotional support
C) Tangible support
D) Adherence to medical regimens
E) Density and size of social network

Answer 2

Emotional support

Question 3

Social support may influence:

A) Health behaviors
B) Development of chronic conditions
C) Adherence to medical regimens
D) A and C
E) All of the above

Answer 3

All of the above

Question 4

The stress-buffering pathway posits:

A) Social support diminishes the negative health effects of stress
B) Social connections may increase stress and subsequently lead to negative health behaviors
C) Social support directly influences both physical and mental health
D) Stress impacts health exclusively through psychological pathways
E) People with high levels are social support are less likely to experience stressful events compared to people with low social support

Question 5

Benefits of using technology to provide social support include:

A) Can connect people in different geographic and time zones
B) Texting has been found to provide more effective support than talking or face-to-face interaction
C) People with stigmatized conditions can seek anonymous support
D) A and C
E) All of the above

Question 6

In a randomized control trial to improve glycemic control among diabetic patients, the researchers concluded that:

A) Peer support directly improved glycemic control among the intervention group
B) Social support appeared to be most beneficial to people in the intervention group who started with low social support resources
C) The intervention and control groups showed no difference in glycemic control at six months
D) The control group demonstrated better glycemic control than the intervention group
E) There was no difference in glycemic control between the intervention and control groups at six months, but the intervention group showed improvement after one year

Question 7

The quality of social relationships:

A) Do not influence the relationship between stress and health
B) Is thought to be less important than the type of support provided (e.g. informational versus tangible)
C) Is likely important in understanding whether relationships buffer or cause stress
D) Is not relevant among married or partnered individuals
E) Impact behaviors, but not physiological responses to stress

Question 8

Perceived support:

A) Is highly correlated with received support
B) Is most important for people engaged in high risk health behaviors
C) Is a strong measure of received support
D) Is a functional measure of social support
E) Refers to feelings of isolation and not belonging

Question 9

Social networks, social integration, and social isolation are all measures of:

A) Functional social support
B) Received support
C) Emotional and tangible support
D) Informational support
E) Structural social support

Question 10

Received support, relationship quality, and technology are:

A) Potential moderators of the relationship between social support and health
B) Consistently found to increase social support
C) Not associated with the relationship between social support and health
D) Associated with received support, but not perceived support
E) Consistently found to be harmful to health

Question 11

Research has consistently concluded that all social relationships are health promoting.

Question 12

Received support is a better predictor of mortality than perceived support.

Question 13

The matching hypothesis predicts that stress-buffering is most effective when the type of support matches the needs of the stressful event.

Question 14

Perceived and received support are highly correlated.

Question 15

Emotional and belonging support are most effective for uncontrollable events.

Question 16

The relational regulation theory posits that everyday interactions can promote a general sense of well-being, which in turn promotes stress-buffering.

Question 17

Giving a family member money to pay their medical bills is an example of informational support.

Question 18

Interventions to increase social support may be harmful if they fail to account for negative relationships and the responsitivity of support provided.

Question 19

Text (or SMS) messaging is as effective as face-to-face interactions in providing social support.

Question 20

In some studies, received support has been associated with higher mortality rates.

Question 21

Describe the influence of technology in social support provision. How have technology advancements in the last decade changed the delivery of social support? Provide one concrete example of how technology may be beneficial and harmful.

Question 22

Describe how you would integrate your knowledge of social support to develop an intervention for alcoholics to maintain sobriety. What type of intervention might you recommend? Include a discussion of perceived and received social support, relationship quality, and the role of technology.