120 Personality and Social Psychology Review 19(2) the setting of attainable ooal edition is strengthened by building (Wrosch.Scheier.Miller.Schulz.&Carver.2003).A rela tional catalyst may also see a special quality in a person tha ing by encouraging the pursuit of passions in a healthy and and nurture its development (Rusbult. balanced ner such that c important opportur The final function of RC support is to vide the launch ing finction during actual engagement in life opportunities. expansion (Aron,Aron,&Smollan,1992:Aron.Aron Part of this invove t theory's notion of a secure Tudor,&Nelson,1991),and by perceiving and behaving C.Feeney&Th 2010 or her providing support that is not needed/wanted,from becoming et al,2005).This functions to bring the individual closer to emotio 198 nis or her ideal self (in terms of dispositi g vioral ten d the of a base is a waiting one (Bowlby.1988):and (c)being on itudinal studies on this pmocess in c available in the event that the base is needed (e.g.,to assist in 2002;Drigotas et al,1999;Rusbult et al,2005)has showr emoving obstacles to stay conecte the partner hat when individual perceive and beh ave t g ed are in d the ideal dent in the availability of their base do not have to cling to which in turn predicts enhanced relationship functioning and that base to the extent that individuals who lack such confi nal well-being.In contrast.when indi nduals perceiv e do (B.C. 00 in ways tha e partn iable&Reis 2010 nent aw ay from the ideal self and deterioration in per another important part of the launching function that should and relationship well-being encourage persistence and I continued engagemer oppo ation on suppor on of SOS others confers efits that amplify the s nttwo distinet support functions that have differen event (e.g.. making it e&Re a longe urposes and that occur in different life This is a Rei al.20,0m to a nd when cl wh to respond actively with expressions of distress or vulnerability (e.g.,avoidan (gexpressing genuine pride ent).t ed chment)may a Ho when close others y have diffi the discloser's excite the dis 008:B. .2013 and Ro lifa in the that sharing positive events and experiences with others (which ion of particular support behavior Sunpont function are often related to goal pursuits and personal growth ribe the role or pur ose for which ort exist and uppo e ife Thu ing ine in the rt of capitalization by r ponding actively and con- shing designated functions Thus.a variety of sun ely to a clos sitive experence aviors can b used for eith support function,a e skills.and strategies)as needed,ands ote that although the nrovisio :tim to setbacks.This supports thriving by increasing the likel and effort,the support of a close other's thriving(through hood that close others learn from their experiences and tha SOS and RC support)does not always require a large120 Personality and Social Psychology Review 19(2) capabilities), and encouraging the setting of attainable goals (Wrosch, Scheier, Miller, Schulz, & Carver, 2003). A rela￾tional catalyst may also see a special quality in a person that others cannot yet see and nurture its development (Rusbult, Finkel, & Kumashiro, 2009). The final function of RC support is to provide the launch￾ing function during actual engagement in life opportunities. Part of this involves attachment theory’s notion of a secure base (Bowlby, 1982, 1988; B. C. Feeney & Thrush, 2010) and includes (a) providing encouragement during the engage￾ment; (b) not unnecessarily interfering (e.g., refraining from providing support that is not needed/wanted, from becoming emotionally over-involved [Coyne & DeLongis, 1986; Coyne, Wortman, & Lehman, 1988], or from impeding the accomplishment of the goal/activity), as the primary function of a base is a waiting one (Bowlby, 1988); and (c) being available in the event that the base is needed (e.g., to assist in removing obstacles, and to stay connected to the partner’s interests, choices, and feelings). Being available and staying connected are important because individuals who are confi￾dent in the availability of their base do not have to cling to that base to the extent that individuals who lack such confi￾dence do (B. C. Feeney, 2007). Supporting capitalization (Gable & Reis, 2010)—by cel￾ebrating successes and accomplishments along the way—is another important part of the launching function that should encourage persistence and continued engagement in oppor￾tunities for growth. Capitalization promotes thriving because the social sharing of good news and positive events with responsive others confers benefits that amplify the good event (e.g., making it more memorable, creating a longer lasting impact on positive well-being; Gable & Reis, 2010; Reis et al., 2010). Research shows that when people share personal positive events with close others, and when close others are perceived to respond actively and constructively (e.g., expressing genuine pride and excitement), then dis￾closers experience increased positive affect and well-being, above and beyond the impact of the positive event itself. However, when close others respond passively or destruc￾tively and thereby deflate the discloser’s excitement, the dis￾closer is unable to fully benefit from the positive event (Gable, Gonzaga, & Strachman, 2006; Gable, Reis, Impett, & Asher, 2004). Enjoying life in the absence of adversity by sharing positive events and experiences with others (which are often related to goal pursuits and personal growth such as performing well at work or school, or milestones such as marriage or the birth of a child) is part of full engagement in life. Thus, an important part of supporting thriving includes the support of capitalization by responding actively and con￾structively to a close other’s positive experiences. Another important part of this launching function involves assisting in tune-ups and adjustments (e.g., in perceptions, skills, and strategies) as needed, and sensitively responding to setbacks. This supports thriving by increasing the likeli￾hood that close others learn from their experiences and that each successive expedition is strengthened by building on the one before. In addition, relational catalysts support thriv￾ing by encouraging the pursuit of passions in a healthy and well-balanced manner such that other important opportuni￾ties or facets of life are not neglected (e.g., time spent with children, sleep and nutrition needs), by encouraging self￾expansion (Aron, Aron, & Smollan, 1992; Aron, Aron, Tudor, & Nelson, 1991), and by perceiving and behaving toward a close other in ways consistent with his or her ideal self (Drigotas, Rusbult, Wieselquist, & Whitton, 1999; Kumashiro, Rusbult, Finkenauer, & Stocker, 2007; Rusbult et al., 2005). This functions to bring the individual closer to his or her ideal self (in terms of dispositions, values, and behavioral tendencies) through a process of behavioral affir￾mation (termed the Michelangelo Phenomenon). A series of longitudinal studies on this process in couples (Drigotas, 2002; Drigotas et al., 1999; Rusbult et al., 2005) has shown that when individuals perceive and behave toward a partner in ways that are consistent with the partner’s ideal self, this treatment leads to actual movement toward the ideal self, which in turn predicts enhanced relationship functioning and personal well-being. In contrast, when individuals perceive and behave in ways that are inconsistent with the partner’s ideal self (a process of disaffirmation), this leads to move￾ment away from the ideal self and deterioration in personal and relationship well-being. Elaboration on support functions. Several aspects of SOS and RC support require elaboration. First, SOS and RC support represent two distinct support functions that have different purposes and that occur in different life contexts. This is an important distinction because individuals are likely to differ in the extent to which they provide or seek each support function. For example, individuals who are uncomfortable with expressions of distress or vulnerability (e.g., avoidant attachment) may have difficulty providing or seeking SOS support (Collins & Feeney, 2000; B. C. Feeney & Collins, 2001), whereas those who prefer to merge with others and fear losing them (e.g., anxious attachment) may have diffi￾culty providing or seeking RC support (Cassidy & Shaver, 2008; B. C. Feeney, Collins, Van Vleet, & Tomlinson, 2013). Second, SOS and RC support are conceptualized as sup￾port functions that are provided through the use of a constel￾lation of particular support behaviors. Support functions describe the role or purpose for which support exists, and specific support behaviors—emotional, esteem, informa￾tional, and tangible support (Brock & Lawrence, 2009; Cutrona, 1996b)—are employed in the service of accom￾plishing designated functions. Thus, a variety of support behaviors can be used for either support function, and these behaviors can be explicit (direct) or implicit (indirect), depending on the needs of the recipient. It is also important to note that although the provision of support requires time and effort, the support of a close other’s thriving (through SOS and RC support) does not always require a large Downloaded from psr.sagepub.com at Remen University of China on September 6, 2015