Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
FactorsUnderlyingParticipants’GainsinOnlineSupportGroups
21
byasampleresearchsource.Itisimportanttonotethathere,too,theselectionof
thesepublicationsdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheirmeritorimportance;they
shouldserveonlyasguidingandexemplifyingresources.
Table1
EmpoweringProcessFactorsinOnlineSupportGroups
ProcessFactor
ResearchSpecimen
Exchangeofrelevantinformationandknowledge
Buis,2008
Undergoingthepsychologicalimpactofwriting
Barak&Miron,2005
Providingandreceivingemotionalsupport
Coulsonetal.,2007
Experiencinguniversality(manyotherslikeme)
Baneetal.,2005
Acceptingsocialrecognition
Leung,2007
Developinginterpersonalrelationships
Ye,2006
Helpingothersinneed
Cavaglion,2008
BeingassistedinmakingdecisionsandtakingconsequentactionBarker,2008
Sharingpersonalexperiences
Eichhorn,2008
Experiencingamusementandfun
Xie,2008
ExchangeofRelevantInformationandKnowledge
Obtainingrelevantinformationandestablishingvalidknowledgeandunder-
standingaboutone’sproblem–whetherrelatedtocancer,bereavement,divorce,
smokingcessation,orinfertility–shouldnotberegardedonlyaseducatingone-
selfbutasprovidingmentalrelief,too.Uncertaintyandambiguityaboutcauses
andfactorsrelatedtopersonalproblems,aswellasaboutpossiblesolutionsand
remedies,inducestress,depression,andanxiety,whereastheremoval(orlessen-
ing)ofthelackofclarityandofmisunderstandingsactstoreducethesenegative
emotions.Informationdoesnotnecessarilyprovidesolutions,butitusuallycon-
tributestoalesseningofstressanddistress.
Obviously,informationreceivedfrompeersisnotalwaysaccurateandcom-
plete.Inmanycases,contradictoryorinconsistentinformationisprovidedin-
nocentlybygroupmembers.Itisimportanttoemphasize,however,that(a)the
participantsthemselvesareaccountablewhenadoptinginformation,fullyorpar-
tially,andareusuallywarnedtofirstcrosscheckandvalidateinformation;and
(b)asseveralstudieshavefound(e.g.,Hwang,Farheen,Johnson,Thomas,
Barnes,&Bernstam,2007)andincontrasttocommonbelief,themajorityof
adviceandinformationgiveninsupportgroupsisquiteaccurate.
