Moderating Role of Experiential Similarity on the Relationship Between Social Support and Posttraumatic Growth

Moderating Role of Experiential Similarity on the Relationship Between Social Support and Posttraumatic Growth

Presenter(s)

Avery Lytle

Comments

Presentation: 2:00-2:20 p.m., Kennedy Union 331

Description

Background and objectives: Trauma exposure is associated with negative outcomes like posttraumatic stress disorder. However, not everyone reports distress; resilience is common. Some even report improved psychological functioning following trauma, termed posttraumatic growth (PTG). Numerous factors are implicated in PTG development, many related to cognitive processing of the event. Outside of cognitive factors, one of the strongest promoters of PTG is social support, but less is known about what types of support are most facilitative. Of potential importance is experiential similarity, or the extent to which the support person has experienced shared elements of one’s trauma. The present study examined whether social support with higher experiential similarity was more strongly associated with PTG than support without experiential similarity. Methods: Bootstrapping procedures in the PROCESS macro for SPSS tested experiential similarity as a moderator of the relation between social support satisfaction and PTG. Six models were tested, each with total PTG or one of the five domains of growth (new possibilities, relating to others, personal strength, spiritual change, and appreciation for life) as outcomes. Results: Only when considering new possibilities as the outcome was experiential similarity a significant moderator, such that only individuals reporting very high levels of similarity and support reported more new possibilities. Similarity did not moderate in the other models. When direct effects were examined, social support was negatively associated with new possibilities and had no significant relations with total growth or the other four domains. Experiential similarity was positively associated with new possibilities and negatively associated with relating to others. Conclusions: In this sample of college undergraduates, experiential similarity does not appear to be a critical aspect of social support that is influential of growth. Future research should determine whether this is sample-specific, or whether other factors such as demographic similarity might be more facilitative of growth.

Publication Date

4-19-2023

Project Designation

Honors Thesis

Primary Advisor

Lucy Allbaugh

Primary Advisor's Department

Psychology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Moderating Role of Experiential Similarity on the Relationship Between Social Support and Posttraumatic Growth

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