Social Influence
Thomas A. Wills, Michael G. Ainette, and Carmella Walker

Social Network. Measures of social network composition typically ask about the number of persons with whom one has regular social interaction. Having a larger social network is a significant protective factor for physical health problems, but the mechanisms for this are not well understood (Uchino, 2004 xClose
Uchino, B. N. (2004). Social support and physical health: Understanding the health consequences of relationships. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.). It has been suggested that persons who are more integrated in their community are more susceptible to social pressure through network enforcement of norms discouraging smoking or alcohol use (Berkman, Glass, Brissette, & Seeman, 2000 xClose
Berkman, L. F., Glass, T., Brissette, I., & Seeman, T. E. (2000). From social integration to health. Social Science and Medicine, 51, 843-857.). There is some evidence showing network size related to substance use (Hanson, 1994 xClose
Hanson, B. L. (1994). Social network, social support and heavy drinking in elderly men: A population study of men born in 1914, Malmö, Sweden. Addiction, 89, 725-732.; Umberson, 1987 xClose
Umberson, D. (1987). Family status and health behaviors: Social control as a dimension of social integration. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 28, 306-319.) but there is little direct evidence on whether a social influence process is involved in this effect (see Urberg, Degirmencioglu, & Pilgrim, 1997 xClose
Urberg, K. A., Degirmencioglu, S. M., & Pilgrim, C. (1997). Close friend and group influence on adolescent cigarette smoking. Developmental Psychology, 33, 834-844.; Wills & Filer, 2001 xClose
Wills, T. A., & Filer, M. (2001). Social networks and social support. In A. Baum, T. A. Revenson, & J. E. Singer (Eds.), Handbook of health psychology (pp. 209-234). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.).

Social Support. The construct of social support refers to the availability of persons who can be supportive when one has a problem, through behaviors such as empathic listening or providing needed tangible goods (Wills & Filer, 2001 xClose
Wills, T. A., & Filer, M. (2001). Social networks and social support. In A. Baum, T. A. Revenson, & J. E. Singer (Eds.), Handbook of health psychology (pp. 209-234). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.; Wills & Shinar, 2000 xClose
Wills, T. A., & Shinar, O. (2000). Measuring perceived and received social support. In S. Cohen, L. G. Underwood, & B. H. Gottlieb (Eds.), Social support measurement and intervention: A guide for health and social scientists (pp. 86-135). New York: Oxford University Press.). Most measures of social support are usually not referenced to a specific type of problem or health behavior, though they may be predictors of substance use (Brennan & Moos, 1990 xClose
Brennan, P. L., & Moos, R. H. (1990). Life stressors, social resources, and late-life problem drinking. Psychology and Aging, 5, 491-501.; Peirce, Frone, Russell, & Cooper, 1996 xClose
Peirce, R. S., Frone, M. R., Russell, M., & Cooper, M. L. (1996). Financial stress, social support, and alcohol involvement: A longitudinal test of the buffering hypothesis in a general population survey. Health Psychology, 15, 38-47.; Wills, Resko, Ainette, & Mendoza, 2004 xClose
Wills, T. A., Resko, J., Ainette, M., & Mendoza, D. (2004). The role of parent and peer support in adolescent substance use: A test of mediated effects. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18, 122-134.). There are instances where measures of emotional/instrumental supportiveness have been adapted for a specific behavior, such as smoking or alcohol cessation (Cohen & Lichtenstein, 1990 xClose
Cohen, S., & Lichtenstein, E. (1990). Partner behaviors that support quitting smoking. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58, 304-309.; Havassey, Hall, & Wasserman, 1991 xClose
Havassey, B. E., Hall, S. M., & Wasserman, D. A. (1991). Social support and relapse: Commonalities among alcoholics, opiate users, and cigarette smokers. Addictive Behaviors, 16, 235-246.).