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AbstractThis study investigated assessments of the acceptability of and negative relational implications for the reasons given for someone not providing emotional support. A representative sample of U.S. adults (N = 1598) participated in a survey experiment that included thinking of a person from whom they would expect such support, imagining that they did not receive support from this person, and being shown one of 16 reasons to explain the nonsupport. Participants evaluated that reason for its acceptability and its negative relational ramifications. As predicted, some nonsupport reasons were judged as more acceptable than were others, and they generated fewer negative relational ramifications. Participants who experienced nonsupport by a friend viewed their reasons as more acceptable than those experiencing nonsupport from family members. Despite this, greater negative relational ramifications were reported when friends compared to family members did not communicate support. Women's nonsupport was viewed as less acceptable compared to men's; however, there were no gender differences in the negative relational ramifications of nonsupport. When tested in a mediation model, acceptability mediated the relationship between expectations and negative relational ramifications, but there was also an unexpected direct negative effect between expectations and negative relational ramifications.

Close relationships have norms and expectations regarding the communication of support; however, recent research has illuminated the varied reasons why would-be supporters at times choose to forgo supporting those who are facing difficulties. One such reason is the perception that the other person is undeserving of support. The researchers conducted 28 semi-structured interviews with those who withheld support because they did not believe the other person deserved support. The researchers analyzed the transcripts using thematic narrative analysis, which yielded three identities that nonsupporters construct for themselves and five identities they constructed for those who were undeserving of support. Additionally, certain self-identities tended to co-occur (i.e., align) with certain undeserving identities. These findings provide practical insight into the dilemma of not providing support to others, as well as further support for narrative research that contends people create identities for both the self and others.