Keywords
Literature review;
Social support;
Theoretical modeling
How to Cite
Abstract
To deepen the theoretical understanding of emotional support, this study selects 89 Chinese and English scholarly articles related to emotional support from databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, Elsevier, Wiley, JSTOR, and Taylor & Francis. Utilizing NVivo 12 for coding and framework construction, a comprehensive literature review is conducted across four dimensions: connotation, role, influencing factors, and theoretical models. The findings reveal the following: Firstly, researchers’ consensus that emotional support entails the expression of positive emotions such as concern, empathy, understanding, respect, trust, and encouragement towards others. Secondly, emotional support significantly enhances individuals' mental and physical health, and fosters students' learning engagement and academic achievement. Thirdly, the effectiveness of emotional support is influenced by the relationships between the supporter and the supported, as well as the broader supportive environment. Lastly, theoretical models of emotional support encompass the main effect model, the stress-buffering model, and the dynamic effect model.
References
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