Southern Communication Journal Vol. 79, No. 1, January–March 2014, pp. 41–58 ISSN 1041-794X (print)/1930-3203 (online) © 2014 Southern States Communication Association. DOI: 10.1080/1041794X.2013.854404 Investigating Self-Efficacy and Emotional Challenge as Contributors to Willingness to Provide Emotional Support Kelly R. Rossetto, Pamela J. Lannutti, & Rachel A. Smith This study investigated negative emotions surrounding emotional support provision and proposed an extension of appraisal-based models of emotional support. The model pro- posed that emotional challenge and support self-efficacy would be related, and both would contribute to willingness to provide emotional support. Participants (N = 119) reported two situations: one when they offered emotional support and one when they did not. Results indicated that in both situations, support self-efficacy and emotional challenge were not related. However, more self-efficacy and less emotional challenge were related to willingness to provide emotional support. This study provides unique insights into how appraisals of the emotions involved in the support process contribute to providers’ willing- ness to provide emotional support. Implications for support providers are discussed. Emotional support is a process of attempting to help distressed people reappraise (Burleson & Goldsmith, 1998) and manage their emotions (Jones & Wirtz, 2006) to alleviate distress (Burleson & MacGeorge, 2002; Goldsmith, 2004; Jones & Wirtz, 2006). Emotional support is a pervasive part of human life, yet people do not always provide it when it is needed. Surprisingly, this decision of whether or not to provide emotional support has received relatively little attention in the research literature. One promising line of research examining decisions to provide emotional support, however, Kelly R. Rossetto, Department of Communication, Boston College. Pamela J. Lannutti, Department of Communication, La Salle University. Rachel A. Smith, School of Communication Arts & Sciences, Pennsylvania State University. Correspondence to: Kelly R. Rossetto, Department of Communication, Boston College, 21 Campanella Way, Maloney Hall #519, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. E-mail: rossetto@bc.edu