The proposed Research Career Development Award is being sought to support a program of research designed to further develop our knowledge and understanding of social support over the life course. The present request capitalizes upon several unique events and circumstances, including the availability of multi-wave data sets focusing on social support and representing different points in the life cycle. The proposed program of research is designed to examine issues of theory, method and clinical application. The main objectives of the research program are outlined below. 1. To modify and extend the theoretical model of Convoys of Social Support outlined by Kahn and Antonucci in 1930. This model represents the first systematic attempt to provide a theoretical framework of social support over the life course. Preliminary analyses suggest that some modification of the model may be necessary. However, until this point there have been no high quality longitudinal data available to test the model. 2. To focus on several important substantive and methodological issues which presently confront researchers in the field of social support. These include the importance of quality versus quantity of support, family versus friendship support, sex differences in support networks, and the differences between perceived reciprocity of support versus veridicality (i.e, the agreement between the principal and network members' independent assessment of the support exchange. The data sets available to the principal investigator are uniquely suited to address these major topics. 3. To develop a research program which utilizes the knowledge attained in the above objectives in a clinical health setting. In light of the research evidence obtained, a program of research for health care settings will be developed aimed at using a family and life course perspective in the development of prevention and intervention programs in the treatment of chronic and acute health crises in the elderly. The Principal Investigator's joint appointment in the Department of Family Practice and the support of that Department will be particularly helpful in facilitating the achievement of this objective.
