Emotional conflict and well-being: relation to perceived availability, daily utilization, and observer reports of social support.

The link between emotional conflict and the perceived availability and use of social support was examined. One hundred and five undergraduate students completed measures of ambivalence over expressing emotion, repressive defensiveness, fear of intimacy, social support, and well-being. Self-reports, observer reports, and daily reports of social support during the previous month were collected. Both ambivalence and fear of intimacy were negatively related to self-report and daily measures of social support and to well-being. Repressive defensiveness was unrelated to the social support measures. Perceived social support mediated the relation between emotional conflict and well-being. Results suggest the presence of a negative bias toward the use of social resources by conflicted individuals.