Ask and you might receive: The actor–partner interdependence model approach to estimating cultural and gender variations in social support

As an essential part of close relationships, social support is a dynamic interactive process. This paper aims to simultaneously investigate social support-seeking and provision behaviours using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). Ninety-two friendship dyads participated in this study. Supportive versus negative friendship qualities were used to predict different support-seeking and support-provision behaviours during an experimental task. Cultural and gender variations were also examined. Results showed that self-reported friendship qualities influence support-seeking and provision behaviours intrapersonally and interpersonally. Female participants were more likely to provide emotion-focused support than were male participants. After accounting for friendship qualities in the dyads, there was no evidence of cultural group differences on support-seeking or provision behaviours among same-sex friends. These results demonstrate the conceptual and empirical advantages of using APIM to unpack cultural and gender variations in social support processes.