The role of identification in soliciting social support in online communities

Narrative sharing is a common strategy for soliciting social support in online communities. Identification is a form of audience involvement and describes how individuals respond to mediated texts. In two online surveys, this study tested the effects of identification in the context of support-seeking. In Study 1 (N = 268), participants read a first-person support soliciting narrative that described emotional distress caused by an interpersonal conflict. Results showed that identification with the support seeker increased social support intention and behavior. In Study 2 (N = 131), identification was manipulated by randomly assigning participants to read a narrative from the perspective of either the support seeker or the opposing character. When the narrative was told from the perspective of the opposing character, identification with the support seeker decreased significantly, and the opposing character was blamed less for causing the conflict. Implications for narrative persuasion in the context of support solicitation are discussed.