Researchers have attempted to clarify the concept of social support by differentiating types of support and relating them to types of stressors. This "specificity" model of support represents an analytical advance over unitary constructs of support, yet an emphasis on such typological studies provides a static view of the phenomenon. Studies of support timing, however, contribute to an understanding of support processes. By integrating these different perspectives, it is possible to (1) answer questions about what support is and how it works and (2) suggest new directions for support research.