Exploring the relationship between receiving and offering online social support: A dual social support model

Drawing on the taxonomy of social support and the transactional model of stress and coping, we proposed a dual social support model to study online social support exchange behaviors. Our model predicts that receiving problem-focused and emotion-focused support from others enhances coping resources; in turn, these coping resources are the primary drivers of the willingness to offer support to others. We empirically tested the proposed dual social support model using data collected from 212 users of online support communities. The results indicate that the problem- and emotion-focused mechanisms simultaneously, yet differentially, determine the willingness to offer support.