No Assistance Desired: How Perceptions of Others’ Self-Esteem Affect Support-Seeking

Abstract

Seeking social support from close others often instantiates effective support transactions that foster coping with negative events. However, people often do not solicit the support they require. The present research expands on this phenomenon by examining how perceptions of providers’ self-esteem influences support recipients’ willingness to seek help in times of need. Across five correlational, experimental, and dyadic investigations, we found that people were less willing to seek support from providers who they perceived to be lower (vs. higher) in self-esteem. Moreover, this effect was mediated by perceptions of efficacy in all studies, revealing that perceptions of providers’ self-worth affect the extent that recipients view them as capable and thus are willing to turn to them for help.