Being Mindful About Seeking Support

Author:

Medd, Lynsey

Graduate Program:

Communication Arts and Sciences (MA)

Degree:

Master of Arts

Document Type:

Master Thesis

Date of Defense:

January 23, 2023

Committee Members:

Andrew High, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies
Andrew High, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Brian Manata, Committee Member
Jeremy Engels, Committee Member

Keywords:

support seeking
supportive communication
interpersonal mindfulness
communicative efficacy
motivation

Abstract:

Seeking support is a complex and consequential step in the process of supportive communication, yet research has seldom examined what characterizes the ways in which people seek support and what variables explain how they do so. Through an integration of interpersonal mindfulness and support seeking, this study examines how mindfulness, communicative efficacy, and motivation are associated with support seeking behavior. Findings from a sample of Qualtrics participants (N = 502) demonstrate relationships between facets of interpersonal mindfulness and the content and style of peoples’ support seeking messages. Specifically, awareness of self and others is significantly and positively associated with emotion focus and elaboration within support seeking behavior, and nonjudgmental acceptance is significantly and positively associated with direct requests and problem focus within support seeking behavior. Communicative efficacy and motivation were also significantly and positively associated with certain dimensions of support seeking, though no interaction effects were found between interpersonal mindfulness, efficacy, and motivation on how people seek support. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.