Relationships matter! Social safeness and self-disclosure may influence the relationship between perceived social support and well-being for in-person and online relationships

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between perceived social support and mental well-being in in-person and online contexts using relational regulation theory as a guiding theoretical framework. Prior research consistently finds a positive link between perceived social support and better well-being. In our study, we investigated the relationship between perceived social support and mental well-being in in-person and online contexts using relational regulation theory as a guiding theoretical framework. More specifically, the present research investigates whether perceived social support and better mental well-being are associated with increased self-disclosure or social safeness, and whether the relationships are similar for in-person and online contexts. Participants (Study 1: N = 268 MTurk Users; Study 2: N = 216 MTurk Users) completed measures of perceived social support, self-disclosure, social safeness, and mental well-being. In both correlational studies, perceived social support was positively related to well-being. Both self-disclosure and social safeness mediated the relationship between perceived social support and well-being for in-person relationships. For online relationships, a person may only need to feel socially safe to have better mental well-being. Future research should employ experimental manipulations to expand upon these findings.