When we face setbacks, we often turn to the people around us for support. But what kind of support is most helpful? Does it depend on whether someone needs to feel better or wants to make progress towards an important goal?

How people support others in different situations

In a set of three studies, AICE researcher Lisanne Pauw and colleagues examined how people support others in these different situations. Across three studies, they looked at seven ways of regulating someone else’s emotions, including acceptance, reappraisal, problem-solving, co-rumination, distraction, suppression, and ignoring.

Two common goals

The researchers compared two common goals: helping someone feel better and helping them achieve their goals. They examined how people perceive different forms of support, how support works between romantic partners, and whether different strategies are related to changes in negative emotions and goal progress over time.

Strategies may be more helpful for improving emotional well-being

The findings show that some strategies may be more helpful for improving emotional well-being, while others may be better suited to goal pursuit. Problem-solving, in particular, emerged as a promising way of promoting both emotional well-being and goal progress. The findings highlight that effective support may depend on what someone is trying to achieve.