Table 1.

Conceptually Distinct Categories of Positive and Negative Social Network Exchanges that Affect Health and Well-Being

	Category	Network Members:	Relevant Life Contexts	Posited Outcomes
Positive	Support	Provide aid and care in times of need	• Stressful life circumstances create needs for support • Declining health, disability, or other chronic stressors create needs for intensive, sustained support • Loss, disruption of social networkties creates needs fee alternative sources of support	• Reduced distress • More effective coping but may also lead to • Feelings of indebtedness • Reduced sense of self-efficacy
	Companionship	Participate in enjoyable shared activities	• Desire to experience shared activities with others as a feature of everyday life • Minor stressors, daily hassles create needs for respite, diversion • Chronic stressors for which few problem-solving options exist create needs for respite, diversion	• Increased positive affect • Enhanced feelings of self-worth • Relief from distress associated with minor stressors/daily hassles • Intermittent relief distraction from distress associated with intractable chronic stressors
	Control (Regulation)	Exert influence to deter health-damaging behaviors	• Stressful life circumstances disrupt or erode self-control, prompting network members to engage in compensatory control to stabilize or improve health behaviors • Chronic illnesses that require adherence to a complex treatment regimen overwhelm self-control, prompting network members to engage in compensatory control to improve adherence	• Improved health behaviors and, in turn, better health outcomes but may also lead to • Feelings of constraint/resentment • Reduced sense of self-efficacy
Negative	Support Failures	Fail to provide needed support or provide miscalibrated or grudging support	• Stressful life circumstances create (unmet) needs for support • Declining health, disability, or other chronic stressors create (unmet) needs for sustained support • Loss, disruption of social network ties create (unmet) needs for alternative sources of support	• Increased distress • Less effective coping • Reduced feelings of self-worth and self-efficacy
	Rejection/Neglect	Exclude person from enjoyable shared activities or ignore/neglect person	• (Thwarted) desire to experience shared activities as a feature of everyday life • Minor stressors/daily hassles create (unmet) needs for respite, diversion • Chronic stressors for which few problem-solving options exist create (unmet) needs for respite/diversion	• Increased distress/despair • Reduced feelings of self-worth • Reduced self-control
	Misdirected Control/Undermining	Exert influence that undermines sound health practices or that encourages initiation of unsound health practices	• Stressful life circumstances disrupt/erode self-control, increasing vulnerability to others’ undermining of sound health practices • Desire for acceptance by others increases willingness to initiate unsound health practices encouraged by others	• Decline in sound health practices • Adoption of unsound health practices