A R T I C L E SOCIAL SUPPORT PROVISIONS AS DIFFERENTIAL PREDICTORS OF ADAPTIVE OUTCOMES IN YOUNG ADOLESCENTS Jared S. Warren Brigham Young University Yo Jackson University of Kansas Sarah K. Sifers Minnesota State University Social support provisions were examined in relation to negative life events, adaptive skills, hope, and grade point average in a sample of 103 inner-city youth (ages 11–14). Analyses focused on seven support provisions: social integration, attachment, guidance and information, reliable alliance, reassurance of worth, nurturance, and instrumental support. For boys, the provision of guidance and information was most strongly related to adaptive skills and grade point average, whereas attachment and reassurance of worth were the strongest predictors of hopefulness. The relation between support provisions and outcomes was less pronounced in the girls. Results underscore the multidimensional nature of social support and emphasize the differential ways in which support networks and their underlying dimensions relate to adaptive outcomes in young adolescents.  C 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Given its salience in the lives of young adolescents, the construct of social support is frequently examined for its relation to adaptive behavior and exposure to stress (Masten & Coatsworth, 1998). Social support is believed to promote adaptive behavior Correspondence to: Sarah K. Sifers, Department of Psychology, Minnesota State University, Mankato, 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001. E-mail: sarah.sifers@mnsu.edu JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 37, No. 1, 106–121 (2009) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). & 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.20273