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Stress, Social Support, and the Buffering Hypothesis

Authors:
Sheldon Cohen at Carnegie Mellon University
Sheldon Cohen
Thomas A Wills at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Thomas A Wills
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Abstract

The purpose of this article is to determine whether the positive association between social support and well-being is attributable more to an overall beneficial effect of support (main- or direct-effect model) or to a process of support protecting persons from potentially adverse effects of stressful events (buffering model). The review of studies is organized according to (a) whether a measure assesses support structure or function, and (b) the degree of specificity (vs. globality) of the scale. By structure we mean simply the existence of relationships, and by function we mean the extent to which one’s interpersonal relationships provide particular resources. Special attention is paid to methodological characteristics that are requisite for a fair comparison of the models. The review concludes that there is evidence consistent with both models. Evidence for a buffering model is found when the social support measure assesses the perceived availability of interpersonal resources that are responsive to the needs elicited by stressful events. Evidence for a main effect model is found when the support measure assesses a person’s degree of integration in a large social network. Both conceptualizations of social support are correct in some respects, but each represents a different process through which social support may affect well-being. Implications of these conclusions for theories of social support processes and for the design of preventive interventions are discussed.
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... Cohen and Wills studied the impact of stress and determined that "social resources will ameliorate the potentially pathogenic effects of stressful events" ( [24] p. 781)." They found that stress acted as a positive buffer for an individual who was experiencing a stressful event. ...
... They found that stress acted as a positive buffer for an individual who was experiencing a stressful event. Cohen and Wills have studied the concept among populations including the chronically ill [24]. The theory supports the research questions that investigate the impact of social support among individuals with COPD. ...
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Article
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Preprint
Full-text available
  • Jun 2024
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... The finding that network diversity did not play a role in SPA physical losses suggests that diverse social networks do not offer any considerable advantages for age-related perceptions of physical health. Past research indicates that the support essential to buffering against stress is provided by few close relationships (Cohen and Wills 1985) and that instrumental support to older adults is mostly provided by children (Seeman and Berkman 1988). This suggests that the fulfillment of essential needs regarding physical health in old age is assured by a network consisting of just a few, similar social roles, and that network diversity is not of relevance in this domain. ...
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Full-text available
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