STRESS AT WORK, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND COMPANIONSHIP - TOWARDS AN EVENT-CONTINGENT RECORDING APPROACH

After outlining a taxonomy of perspectives on social support, the lite rature on the direct and buffer effects of social support with respect to occupational stress is reviewed. It is noted that negative direct and buffer effects of support are frequently observed. Methodological and theoretical explanations for these contradictory findings are pres ented. It is argued that a different methodological approach is needed to examine such explanations. Three studies-among police officers, se cretaries, and correctional officers-are briefly described in which th e Daily Interaction Record in Organizations (DIRO) was used. With this event-contingent recording method, social interactions and stressful events are assessed over a period of 5 days, allowing the detailed exa mination of the processes involved in supportive interactions, and of the effects of such processes.