Social support and relationship change after childbirth: An expectancy model

Abstract

Much has been written about social support, but little is known about the processes that promote continuity or discontinuity in supportive relationships. A proposed model of relationship processes (Levitt, 1991) specifies that changes in the quality of close relationships are likely to occur when expectations for social support are tested and disconfirmed. Relationships are particularly vulnerable to change after major life events, such as childbirth, when increased support needs precipitate the testing of expectations. In a preliminary assessment of this model, 43 mothers were interviewed at 1 month and 13 months after birth. Changes in relationship satisfaction were related strongly to the extent to which mothers perceived that their expectations for support had been disconfirmed. The results are consistent with the proposed model and suggest the value of considering the effects of social support in light of the individual's expectancies.