Information About the Source for Distress Promotes Online Support Provision

ABSTRACT In recent years, the use of online emotional support has surged, now serving millions of users worldwide. One central challenge is that a significant number of requests for help go unanswered or receive minimal responses. We tested whether the degree of information about the cause of distress provided by help-seekers impacts the chances of receiving support. Many effective support strategies (e.g., cognitive-reappraisal, problem solving, validation) require information about the source of distress. Therefore, posts that contain source information can empower help-providers to provide support. We tested this prediction in 7 studies (N=1,106). Study 1 showed that people are more likely to support posts that contain source information, compared to posts without source information. Study 2 replicated these findings using more naturalistic “posts”. Studies 3-5 ruled out alternative explanations, showing the effect is not due to the overall amount of information in the posts (Study 3), the anticipated mental health of the help-seeker (Study 4), and the perceived emotional intensity of the post (Study 5). Study 6 showed that source information impacts the support strategy help-providers choose to use, and Study 7 showed that when limiting the strategy people can use to provide support, the effect disappears, suggesting that preferences towards posts with source information are partly driven by the strategies afforded by this information. These studies uncover a new determinant and mechanism that may shape support provision, informing the design of more welcoming online support environments.