118 Personality and Social Psychology Review 19(2) Table 2.Descriptive Summary of Support Functions Source of strength support Relational catalyst support ote thriving th u negative effects of stre but also opportunit om the in ways thatn them to tlo 1.Providing a safe haven afety and protection;relief from ession of neg tive emotion and comfort zone dverse ci 2.Providing perce challengehppranpthewin 3.Assisting in the re onstruction proce 3.Facilitating preparation for engagement in life uild the resources encouraging setting of attainable goals .edeineymechnm or been fortified with the strength to rebuild.This involves possibility of thriving through adversity.Assistance in put motivating a close other who has experienced adversity to ing the adversity in perspective (e.g.,as a common occur ping stone for foreing new relationshin ing positive coping with adversity by encouraging positive It is important to note that a majority of the social suppor action instead of with the or e. e in h dall day liteoures suport has been defined as the would benefit from having someone who not only helps to benefit an individual's ability to cope with stress"(Cohen nurture his/her strengths,but who also encourages him/her to 2004,p.676).In positing the SOS support function,we pro pos that support-provder s can d m h more th change,go e that when su t-prviders rvide ss thev Doing this successfully requires assisting in reframing/ n helping the ipient to grow,flourish,or prosper (to redefining the adve siry as a mechanism for positive change adversity.Thus,we argue for a bro a cognitive redefining e on ly been tak insurmountable as it may have initialy It includes helping or to adverse expe supp nust be tet to approac he adv n a wa as we to next suggest tha iorcesanindicaototoneslackofdeimbiyorhceaes there is an abundance of research showing stress-buffering of one's life would be detrimental to positive coping and the effects.Instead,we propose that (a)support provision that118 Personality and Social Psychology Review 19(2) been fortified with the strength to rebuild. This involves motivating a close other who has experienced adversity to stay in the game and use their strengths to implement new approaches that take into account the negative forces identi￾fied through the adverse experience. This includes motivat￾ing positive coping with adversity by encouraging positive action instead of dwelling on negative circumstances that cannot be changed. For example, an individual who copes with the loss of a job by ruminating and staying in bed all day would benefit from having someone who not only helps to nurture his/her strengths, but who also encourages him/her to use those strengths to rebuild in a positive way (e.g., to make a career change, go back to school) that can contribute to thriving. Doing this successfully requires assisting in reframing/ redefining the adversity as a mechanism for positive change. This function of SOS support involves a cognitive redefining of the adversity so that it does not seem as threatening or insurmountable as it may have initially. It includes helping a close other to view the adversity as one that can be overcome or to find benefits in the adverse experience. This redefini￾tion should enable one to approach the adversity in a way that will promote thriving. For example, viewing an unwanted divorce as an indicator of one’s lack of desirability or the end of one’s life would be detrimental to positive coping and the possibility of thriving through adversity. Assistance in put￾ting the adversity in perspective (e.g., as a common occur￾rence) and redefining it (e.g., as an impetus for positive change) may motivate the individual to use the experience as a stepping stone for forging new relationships. It is important to note that a majority of the social support literature has focused on stress-buffering effects of social support. In fact, social support has been defined as the “pro￾vision of psychological and material resources intended to benefit an individual’s ability to cope with stress” (Cohen, 2004, p. 676). In positing the SOS support function, we pro￾pose that support-providers can do much more than buffer stress or return one to baseline levels of functioning. We pro￾pose that when support-providers provide a SOS, they assist in helping the recipient to grow, flourish, or prosper (to thrive) through the adversity. Thus, we argue for a broader perspective on social support than has historically been taken in the literature, and we do this by proposing that support in times of adversity should be viewed more broadly than sim￾ply buffering negative effects of stress, and by proposing that social support must be considered in non-adverse life con￾texts as well, as we turn to next. We do not suggest that stress-buffering models of social support are incorrect, as there is an abundance of research showing stress-buffering effects. Instead, we propose that (a) support provision that Table 2. Descriptive Summary of Support Functions. Source of strength support Relational catalyst support Definition: Definition: Functions to promote thriving through adversity, not only by buffering the negative effects of stress but also by helping others to emerge from the stressor in ways that enable them to flourish Functions to promote thriving through full participation in life opportunities for exploration, growth, and development in the absence of adversity Components: Components: 1. Providing a safe haven—safety and protection; relief from burdens; emotional or physical comfort; a comfortable environment for the expression of negative emotion and vulnerability; expressing empathy, understanding, acceptance, reassurance; shielding and defending; tangible aid to alleviate adverse circumstances 1. Nurturing a desire to create or seize opportunities for growth—expressing enthusiasm, validating goals and aspirations, encouraging individual to challenge or extend the self, leave one’s comfort zone 2. Providing fortification—assisting in the development/nurturing of strengths/talents; recognizing/nourishing latent abilities or helping to attain new ones 2. Providing perceptual assistance in the viewing of life opportunities—appraising opportunities as positive challenges vs. threats, assistance in recognizing opportunities 3. Assisting in the reconstruction process—motivating and assisting one to get back up, stay in the game, use strengths to renew and rebuild the self, problem-solve, and cope with adversity in a positive manner 3. Facilitating preparation for engagement in life opportunities—promoting the development of plans and strategies, development/recognition of skills and resources; providing instrumental or informational assistance; encouraging setting of attainable goals 4. Assisting in reframing/redefining adversity as a mechanism for positive change 4. Facilitating implementation by serving a launching function that enables one to fully engage in life opportunities by: a. Providing a secure base for exploration b. Supporting capitalization c. Assisting in tune-ups and adjustments; responding sensitively to failures/setbacks d. Perceiving and behaving toward individual in ways consistent with his/her ideal self Downloaded from psr.sagepub.com at Remen University of China on September 6, 2015