Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The present study illustrates how examining self-efficacy helps to distinguish between the motivation to provide social support and the understanding of what constitutes appropriate social support in two cultures, those of China and the United States. By examining the relationships among goals, self-efficacy, and evaluations of behavior, the current study illustrates how valuing interactive support goals represents the sense in which people are motivated to provide support to others. In contrast, rating the appropriateness of support strategies represents a working knowledge of social support that is distinct from the motivation to provide it. Analyses indicate that the valuing of interactive support goals significantly mediated the influence of individual differences in self-efficacy on evaluations of support behaviors. In addition, results suggest both transcultural and culture-specific patterns in social support efficacy.