The Impact of Effort Attributions on the Quality of Esteem Support Messages Produced

Research indicates that receiving esteem support has multiple benefits, however, less is known about the factors that influence the production of esteem support messages of varying quality. We examine how characteristics of potential recipients shape esteem support message production, specifically, how recipients’ effort to help themselves may alter emotions and motivations of potential esteem support providers, affecting the quality of esteem support messages produced. A between-subjects experiment tested predictions derived from the attribution-emotion-action model (AEAM) and the cognitive-emotional theory of esteem support messages (CETESM). Results are consistent with a process of serial mediation where recipient effort causes effort attributions in potential support providers, which increase sympathy, which increases helping motivation, leading to more high-quality content in esteem support messages. Anger, although negatively associated with effort attribution, did not appear to play a mediating role in esteem support message production within the job search context. Theoretic and pragmatic implications are discussed.