Sullivan et al. / HELP-GIVER SELECTION Do Expectancies Influence Choice of Help-Giver? Adolescents ’ Criteria for Selecting an Informal Helper

This study endeavors to test whether adolescents ’ expectations of potential helpers’ nurturance and expertise are associated with adolescent selection of an informal help-giver. A sample of 89 adolescents in Grades 8 and 11 responded to assessments of help seeking within four different scenarios. Regression analyses revealed that expectations of expertise are important in selecting a mother or father as a potential help giver, whereas expectations of nurturance are influential in choosing a friend as a help giver. Age was not found to modify the relationship between expectations and selection of a helper, and gender modified the relationship in only one scenario. Results are discussed in terms of adolescent help seeking as having a dual function, that of information seeking and relationship development. Some level of generic stress is a part of development during adolescence (Compas, Orosan, & Grant, 1993). Stress more often emerges from concerns about schoolwork, teachers, parents, peers, opposite-sex relationships, per-sonal development, health, and career skills (Boldero & Fallon, 1995), and yet the majority of adolescents manage to cope successfully with these minor and major stressors (Seiffge-Krenke, 1993). Coping processes, while described in various ways such as problem focused and emotion focused (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) or functional and dysfunctional (Seiffge-Krenke & Shulman, 1993), all include asking for help with a problem as an adaptive strategy for managing concerns or problems (Boldero & Fallon, 1995). Thus, help seeking is an important set of skills that includes requesting assistanc