What is the meaning of social comparison theory?
Social comparison theory is the idea that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others. The theory was developed in 1954 by psychologist Leon Festinger.
What are the types of social comparison?
There are two major types of social comparison: upward comparison, when people compare themselves to people who are better than they are, and downward comparison, when people compare themselves to those who are less proficient than they are. Both upward and downward comparisons have strengths and weaknesses.
Who first defined the social comparison theory?
Social comparison can be traced back to the pivotal paper by Herbert Hiram Hyman, who was an American Sociologist, back in 1942. Hyman revealed the assessment of one’s own status is dependent on the group with whom one compares oneself.
What is social comparison in interpersonal communication?
Social Comparison Theory. states that we describe and evaluate ourselves in terms of how we compare to other people based on two dimensions: superiority/inferiority (attractiveness, intelligence, athletic ability, and so on) similarity/difference.
Why do we do social comparison?
People compare themselves to those who are better when they want inspiration to improve, and they compare themselves to those who are worse when they want to feel better about themselves.
What are the three types of social comparisons?
Upward, Downward, and Horizontal Social Comparisons: Effects on Adjustment, Emotions, and Persistence in Teachers.
What causes social comparison?
Background. Social comparison theory was first proposed in 1954 by psychologist Leon Festinger and suggested that people have an innate drive to evaluate themselves, often in comparison to others.
What are the three types of social comparison?
Three types of social comparison are proposed in the theory: (a) upward social comparison, or comparing oneself with someone judged to be better than oneself (e.g., by having more wealth or material goods, higher social standing, greater physical attractiveness); (b) downward social comparison, or comparing oneself …
Why is social comparison good?
Social comparison can be useful because it provides us with a way to determine if we are ‘on track,’ but it can also be extremely harmful and result in negative thoughts and behaviors.
What is social comparison quizlet?
social comparisons are when we compare our abilities/opinions to someone similar to us. We use social comparisons to reduce uncertainty about our opinions/abilities and know where we stand relative to those we are comparing ourselves to.
How common is social comparison?
Social comparison is one of the most ubiquitous features of human social life. This fundamental human tendency to look to others for information about how to think, feel, and behave has provided us with the ability to thrive in a highly complex and interconnected modern social world.
How important is social comparison?
We use social comparison to determine the accuracy and appropriateness of our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. When we are able to compare ourselves favorably with others through downward social comparison, we feel good about ourselves.
Is social comparison good or bad?
How has social comparison affect your behavior?
Upward social comparison was thought to result in more negative feelings (e.g., shame, inferiority); the research, however, is equivocal. Upward social comparison can be helpful because it allows for self-enhancement; for example, we might feel motivated to improve our performance (Collins, 1996).
Why do we engage in social comparison?
What is social comparison in psychology quizlet?
What are the two main factors in social comparison?
In most cases, we try to compare ourselves to those in our peer group or with whom we are similar. 2 There are two kinds of social comparison—upward social comparison and downward social comparison.
Why is social comparison important to human behavior?
How do you deal with social comparison?
Here are some things you can do to take the initiative to stop comparing yourself to others.
- Be aware of your triggers and avoid them.
- Limit your time on social media.
- Avoid comparing other peoples’ “outsides” to your own “insides”
- Remind yourself that “money doesn’t buy happiness”
- Count your blessings.