Support gaps, or discrepancies between the support a person desires and receives, have implications for how effectively people cope with stressors. Existing research commonly uses recall procedures to assess support gaps, considers only immediate outcomes, and does not often assess predictors of gaps. To validate the support gaps framework, participants (N = 200) assessed their desires for support regarding an identity-threatening stressor just prior to a laboratory-based interaction and received support immediately following the interaction. Longitudinal outcomes and the moderating role of ability and motivation were also considered. Participants experienced support gaps, which were associated with their rumination and affect improvement three weeks after the interaction. Ability and motivation influenced the size of support gaps, and ability moderated the effect of a gap in esteem support on participants’ affect improvement. Implications related to an emerging theory of support gaps and the dual-process theory of supportive communication outcomes are discussed.

中文翻译：

---

验证支持差距框架：在支持性互动中经历赤字和盈余的纵向影响和调节因素

支持差距，或一个人渴望的支持与接受的支持之间的差异，对人们应对压力源的有效程度有影响。现有研究通常使用召回程序来评估支持差距，仅考虑直接结果，并且通常不评估差距的预测因素。为了验证支持差距框架，参与者（N = 200）在基于实验室的互动之前评估了他们对身份威胁压力源的支持愿望，并在互动后立即获得支持。还考虑了纵向结果以及能力和动机的调节作用。参与者经历了支持差距，这与他们的反思有关，并在互动三周后影响改善。能力和动机影响支持差距的大小，和能力调节了自尊支持差距对参与者情感改善的影响。讨论了与新兴的支持差距理论和支持性沟通结果的双重过程理论相关的影响。