The Relation of Locus of Control and Social Support to Life-Cycle Related Needs of Widows

Abstract

This study is a part of a larger research project on the coping of widows. The study reported here investigated the effects of widowhood-related needs along the life-cycle and variables hypothesized to be related to it, using a multivariate hierarchical regression model. The participants were 246 widows who were sampled by stratified-random sampling, according to age groups, from the population of social insurance recipient Israeli urban widows. The findings indicate that personal resource variables—age and locus of control orientation—were directly related to the four need constellations studied. Two of the three social support variables studied—size of the network and likelihood of seeking help from network members—were related to the needs only when interacting with the personal variables. The findings support previous research regarding the role of locus of control as a support mobilizer, and point to the importance of including personal as well as environmental resources, such as social support, in the study of bereavement and coping.