Interdependent patterns of coping and support among close friends

We introduced a 3 x 3 Coping-Support Interdependent Matrix for conceptualizing and investigating dyadic coping and support-giving among friends. By integrating attachment theory with the literatures on coping and support, we identified three prototypic patterns of coping (distance, utilize support, overwhelmed) and three prototypic patterns of support-giving (disengage, responsive, overinvolved). A sample of 113 pairs of college friends completed questionnaires assessing their own and their friend's coping and support-giving patterns. An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model analysis revealed that utilize support coping was associated with friends' responsive support-giving, overwhelmed coping was associated with overinvolved support-giving, and distance coping was associated with disengage support-giving. Coping and support patterns were found related in theoretically expected ways to ratings of friendship closeness and conflict.