| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
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Granovetter (1973), for example, demonstrated how a less dense network with weak ties provided greater access to information about getting a job, whereas Wellman and Gulia (1999) documented that support with large domestic tasks, emergency matters, and long-term assistance was enhanced by a high-density network made up of strong ties.
Traditional social support research focuses on support transmitted through face-to-face interaction in real-world social networks, whereas this work examines social support transmitted through CMC in an electronic social network. It is appropriate that social support research should progress into the realm of online relationships, considering that 70% of American adults used the Internet in 2006 (roughly 141 million) and 58% of adult users accessed an online site for information or support related to a medical or personal situation in 2004 (Pew, 2006). Thus, the purpose of this study is to illuminate and examine social support transmitted through CMC within an electronic social network. Research extending the study of social support into the sphere of online relations must take into consideration the many years of traditional social support research that provide a foundation from which to venture into this newer environment.
Traditional Social Support
The study of social support gained attention with two seminal works by Cassel and Cobb that highlighted the buffering effects of social support. Cassel (1976) put forth the concept that the presence of others acted as a buffer to stress, and Cobb (1976) characterized a sense of belonging, esteem, and being cared for as a buffer during crisis. Two theoretical orientations emerged from these beginnings: the buffer hypothesis and the direct effect hypothesis. The former states that social support provides coping resources that act as a buffer against the psychosocial distress caused by stressful life events (Gore, 1978; Landman-Peeters et al., 2005; Thoits, 1982).