Support Behaviours in Long-Distance Relationships

寻求支持是指个体如何从依恋对象那里获得支持，而在回应中提供的支持被定义为照顾（Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016; Mikulincer, 2006）。一个人对他们的照顾有三种依恋类型——安全型（舒适地给予和寻求支持）、回避型（拒绝寻求或提供支持；Simpson等人，1992）或焦虑型（过度寻求，或怀疑可用性时犹豫不决，无效的照顾）（Fraley & Shaver,1998; Mikulincer, 2006）。异地恋中的情侣很少有面对面交流的选择，因此必须采用其他沟通渠道来寻求和提供支持，比如技术（Morris, 2020）。目前，没有研究评估ldr中的这些支持行为，尽管伴侣支持是这些夫妇满意度的最佳预测因素（Freitas, 2004）。因此，本研究旨在通过调查异地恋成员的寻求支持行为来解决这一差距，同时评估某些沟通渠道是否服务于特定目的，以及这些行为是否受到依恋风格的影响。此外，该研究旨在评估这些行为对人际关系和个人健康的影响。据推测，LDR将依靠技术来寻求支持，但回避型个体会寻求和提供较少的支持，并倾向于不提供即时响应的渠道（如电子邮件），而焦虑型个体会使用侵入性渠道（如计划外的视频电话）寻求和提供过多的支持。我预计，由于这些不合时宜的沟通，这些人的个人和人际关系幸福感会降低。

Support-seeking refers to how an individual elicits support from an attachment figure, and the supportprovided in response is defined as caregiving (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016; Mikulincer, 2006). There arethree attachment styles which an individual can have towards their caregiving - secure (comfortablegiving and seeking support), avoidant (resistant to seek or provide support; Simpson et al., 1992), oranxious (excessive seeking, or hesitant if they doubt availability, ineffective caregiving; (Fraley & Shaver,1998; Mikulincer, 2006). Couples in long-distance relationships (LDRs) rarely have an option for face-tofacecommunication and therefore must employ other communication channels to seek and providesupport, like technology (Morris, 2020). Currently, there is no research assessing these supportbehaviours in LDRs, despite partner support being the best predictor or satisfaction for these couples(Freitas, 2004). Therefore, this research aims to address this gap by investigating the support-seekingbehaviours which are employed by members of long-distance relationships, whilst assessing whethercertain communication channels serve specific purposes and if these behaviours are influenced byattachment style. Additionally, the research aims to assess the influence of these behaviours onrelational and personal wellbeing. It is speculated that LDR's will rely on technology to seek support, butavoidant individuals will seek and provide less support and favour channels that do not provideimmediate responses (like email) whilst anxious individuals seek and provide excessive support usingintrusive channels (like unplanned video calls). I expect that these individuals will have lower personaland relational wellbeing due to these mistimed communications.