The work of 47 contributors from the U.S., Canada, and Israel, the
Sourcebook gives special attention to the complexity of the social
support construct, expanding the field's theoretical base by seriously
reappraising social support research in the context of findings from
other fields of psychology and related disciplines. Personality
processes are specified to account for observed associations between
social support and physical well-being. Several new studies are included
which illustrate empirical approaches to exploring these processes. And
key contributions highlight the great strides made in understanding the
links among personal dispositions, situational contexts, and potentially
supportive transactions.