Abstract
Social support is one of the most reliable predictors of well-being. One of its facets, received social support (RSS), pertains to social interactions that provide actual assistance. Cultural context is important in appreciating RSS; however, existing conceptualizations are based on western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) contexts. This mixed methods study aimed to explore the concept of RSS in the Philippine context. Study 1 aimed to describe the characteristics of Filipino RSS through a qualitative survey. Five themes were generated from the responses of 424 Filipino adults. Study 2 examined the dimensions of RSS. Items were constructed using themes generated in Study 1 and RSS facets in the current literature (i.e., emotional, instrumental, informational). A total of 198 participants completed an online survey which asked them to rate the frequency at which they have received the specified supportive behaviors. Exploratory factor analysis surfaced six facets of received social support that cover behaviors that (1) provide encouragement and increase one’s sense of efficacy and self-worth; (2) provide a sense of emotional relief through empathy and companionship; (3) facilitate a sense of community; (4) provide information, guidance, and instruction on how to solve one’s problems; (5) provide timely practical support; and, (6) provide relief to the recipient by backing them up when they fail to deal with their problems successfully. Findings indicated that while Filipino received social support facets do not significantly differ from Euro-American-centric conceptualizations, they are infused with cultural aspects that focus on social relationships and social harmony, and self-efficacy.
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