An Experimental Test of Mediated Supportive Communication and Resulting Outcomes

Abstract

The present study integrates theories of mediated and supportive communication to investigate the influence of communication context (i.e., channel) and content (i.e., quality) on support outcomes. 162 friend-dyads participated in an experiment by engaging in a supportive conversation that occurred either face-to-face, via video chat, or via text messaging and was manipulated to reflect either low- or high-quality support. Results showed channel richness, as operationalized by perceived synchronicity and bandwidth, varied across all three channels, and significantly predicted support receivers’ cognitive reappraisal and emotional improvement. Moderation analyses offered support consistent with the dual process theory of supportive message outcomes, such that the positive relationship between perceived bandwidth and support outcomes diminished as support quality increased. As one of the few experimental studies of enacted support reflecting varying quality levels across three distinct communication channels in the context of established friendships, implications for mediated supportive communication are discussed.