Supporting in Ways That Do Not Align With What We Feel, Believe, or Want: Theorizing About Deceptive/Reluctant Support Provision in Interpersonal Relationships

Kylie J. Johnson, Meara H. Faw, Joshua R. Pederson, Office of the President, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Department of Communication Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Department of Communication Studies, University of Alabama

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Published online on June 27, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Ahead of Print.
In this study, we investigatedeceptive/reluctant support(D/RS), which we define as verbal and nonverbal supportive communication that is communicated unwillingly (i.e., hesitantly or against their wishes), does not align with support providers’ true ...