Visible and Invisible Social Support: How, Why, and When

Abstract

Social relationships can be a vital source of help in difficult times. However, attempts to provide social support that is visible—direct and recognized by recipients as help—can sometimes have unintended negative effects. By contrast, invisible support—provided indirectly such that recipients do not interpret the behavior as help—can circumvent potential negative effects. In this article, we synthesize empirical evidence on support visibility using three organizing questions: How do support attempts differ in visibility? Why is invisible support often more beneficial than visible support? When is invisible support, as opposed to visible support, needed? The answers to these questions can illuminate mechanisms of effective support generally, help explain known variability in support outcomes, and stimulate further research.