similarly argued that in order to enact caregiving, individuals must first realize that their partner requires care. Therefore, one potential obstacle to caregiving behaviour is that the person in need of help may not actively seek support from the caregiver, or may communicate their need for support through indirect strategies (e.g., hinting, sulking, sighing) that are overly ambiguous. However, while greater communications of need can effectively elicit support, behaviours such as excessive reassurance seeking (a behavioural pattern in which individuals continue to seek support and reassurance even after such reassurance has already been provided) can strain the relationship and undermine helping. Qualities of the relationship Researchers have argued that individuals in high quality relationships, in which partners feel attached and committed to each other, should evidence more motivation to provide responsive support to their partner. Indeed, one’s own sense of relationship satisfaction and relationship interdependence (the degree to which the caregiver feels close and committed to the partner) are positively related to the amount of support one provides. For example, daily diary studies of caregiving have observed that individuals tend to provide more support to their partners on days they feel more satisfied with their relationships (however, a reverse interpretation – that caregiving increases relationship satisfaction – is also possible). In addition, caregivers who are more satisfied with their relationships report more altruistic motives for providing support. Benefits of caregiving Receipt of social support, or the perception that social support will be readily available when needed, is linked to a multitude of benefits, including improvements in mood and self-esteem. Provision of effective care can also benefit the caregiver because it is likely to foster feelings of self-worth and efficacy, build confidence in one's interpersonal skills, promote the self-view that one is a moral person, and increase feelings of love and social connectedness. Research has also linked the provision of social support within intimate relationships to enhanced relationship satisfaction for the care recipient and caregiver. For example, higher levels of support in newlywed couples predicted higher relationship satisfaction two years later. Responsive care is especially important for relationship satisfaction. References Intimate relationships Attachment theory