The Effects of Positive and Negative Social Exchanges on Aging Adults

Abstract

This study tested various models of the effects of positive and negative exchanges on positive and negative affect using structural equation modeling. Based on a probability sample of middle-aged and older adults, the relationships between social exchanges and psychological well-being were examined both within the total sample and within subgroups of individuals who had experienced few vs many life events. Within the general population, the Domain Specific Model resulted in the best fit. That is, positive exchanges were associated with positive affect, and negative exchanges were associated with negative affect. However, among the subgroup that had experienced more life events, there was a significantly stronger relationship between negative exchanges and negative affect. These findings suggest that, to understand the effects of social exchanges, it is important to consider the context of life events.

Daily negative interactions and mood among patients and partners dealing with multiple sclerosis (MS): The moderating effects of emotional support

“…Some researchers suggest a domain specific effect, that is, negative responses impact on dimensions of negative well-being but not on dimensions of positive well-being (e.g. Ingersoll-Dayton et al, 1997). However, other researchers argue that the effects of negative responses are so potent that they affect both positive and negative well-being, which is termed a cross-over effect (e.g.…”

“…Negative interactions may be interpreted as a sign of rejection by the recipient and are believed to have such great impact because they entail a threat both to the relationship with the provider and to psychological resources such as selfesteem (Rook, 1992). Individuals whose psychological resources to deal with stressful events are already depleted, such as in individuals dealing with chronic illness and their intimate partners, may be particularly vulnerable to negative responses they receive from the partner (Druley & Townsend, 1998;Ingersoll-Dayton, Morgan & Antonucci, 1997).…”

Social exchanges and subjective well-being among older Chinese: Does age make a difference?

“…Chinese elderly; social support; negative interactions; mental health; heterogeneity in old age Social relationships have positive ("social support," e.g., emotional and instrumental support) and negative aspects ("negative interactions," e.g., criticism and demand), and both are related to older adults' well-being (Ingersoll-Dayton, Morgan, & Antonucci, 1997;Newsom, Nishishiba, Morgan, & Rook, 2003;Okun & Keith, 1998). However, few studies are based on data from developing nations.…”

“…While the potency of negative exchanges seems to be larger than that of enacted support, perceived support measures are comparable to negative exchanges in their effects on psychological distress. Most prior studies have primarily used negative well-being indicators as outcomes, relatively fewer have also included positive well-being outcomes in their analyses (see Ingersoll-Dayton et al, 1997, andRook, 1998, for reviews).In this study, we include life satisfaction and depressed affect, representing positive and negative subjective well-being, respectively, as outcomes. We argue that, among older Chinese, both social support and negative interactions have significant contributions to life satisfaction and depressed affect.…”

Social Support, Negative Social Interactions, and Psychological Well‐Being

“…1993), problematic social interactions (Brenner, Norvell, and Limacher 1989;Davis and Rhodes 1994;Rhodes, Ebert, and Meyers 1994;Davis, Rhodes, Hamilton-Leaks 1997), problematic relationships (Horwitz, McLaughlin, and White 1998), problematic support (Revenson et al 1991), problematic social ties (Rook 1984), negative social ties (Finch et al 1989), negative social exchange (Ingersoll-Dayton et al 1997;Okun and Keith 1998), negative social interactions (Schuster, Kessler, and Aseltine 1990;Lakey, Tardiff, and Drew 1994;Rauktis, Koeske, and Tereshko 1995), negative social support (Ray 1992), negative network interactions (Siegel, Raveis, and Karus 1994), negative relations (Elder et al 1995), network upset (Fiore, Becker, and Coppel 1983;Pagel, Erdly, and Becker 1987;KiecoltGlaser, Dyer, and Shuttleworth 1988), unwanted or unneeded interactions (Stephens et al 1987), and social undermining (Gant et al 1993;Vinokur and van Ryn 1993;Vinokur, Price, and Caplan 1996). All of these terms represent a broad range of negative social interactions that cause an individual to experience an adverse psychological reaction.…”