Social support refers to assistance provided by friends, family, and others to an individual who is facing stressful circumstances or problems. This assistance may be aimed at helping the stressed individual solve the problem or at easing the painful emotions caused by the problem. Social support can take many forms, including reassurance, encouragement, a new
Social constructionism is a postmodern perspective that emphasizes the socially constructed nature of knowledge. Underscoring the linguistic and relational nature of all knowledge, it emphasizes personal, social, and cultural processes that inform, and limit, the development of knowledge. In contrast to modernist notions of reality as singular, stable, universal, and nonhistorical, social constructionists emphasize that
Social psychology is conventionally defined as the scientific study of how the actual or imagined presence of others influences an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The social psychology of language (SPL) concentrates on the role of language in the dynamics between individuals and their social world; language use is argued to affect and be affected
Identity exists along a spectrum that ranges from the personal to the social. The personal end of this spectrum is constituted by the distinctive combination of attributes that an individual deems relevant to his or her self-concept (e.g., being shy or tall). The social end of this spectrum, in contrast, is constituted by the extent
Social processing effects are grounded within individuals’ assessments and interpretations of social contextual information. Because sport and exercise psychology (SEP) is the scientific study of how people and their behaviors affect and are affected by the environmental contexts in which they operate, social processing effects can best be viewed through a social–psychological lens. The social
Human survival is based on the ability to exchange resources, and as a result of evolution, the human brain has adapted so as to facilitate exchange (Cosmides & Tooby 2005). Communication is a tool by which individuals can negotiate an exchange as well as provide resources (Roloff 1981). Appropriately, communication scholars have used social exchange
How someone behaves verbally, physically, or through their presence in a social context influences the behavior of other people in that context. This is a logical and practical assumption about any form of shared human activity. The variety of ways that behavior takes shape and is repeated over time and situations is referred to as
Social support is a diverse, multidisciplinary area of study that addresses the question: why do people who are involved in relationships tend to be mentally and physically healthier than those who are not? One approach to answering this question focuses on what people say and do to help one another cope with stress (enacted support
Social comparative emotions are elicited when there is a reflection and comparison of one’s personal attributes with an individual or group of others who may pose a threat to the self. Social comparative emotions are evoked when there appears to be large a discrepancy between the self and another, in domains that are important and
Researchers have been studying the measurement properties, correlates, and outcomes of social physique anxiety (SPA) for more than two decades. With roots in social anxiety, self-presentation, and body image affect, SPA is defined as the anxiety that an individual experiences when he or she perceives that others could be negatively evaluating his or her physique.