According to social comparison theory festinger, 1954. Ambiguity also circulated about the important dimensions for similarity. A theory of social comparison processes leon festinger. A recent test of social information processing theory showed little effect of anonymous social cues on choices of brief tasks kilduff regan, 1988. However, in the three decades since the publication of this work, social comparison theory has evolved in several ways. According to the social comparison theory festinger 1954, such comparison is often downward, as individuals are inclined to think that they are smarter, better off, and more fortunate than most other people.
As earlier mentioned, social comparison theory festinger, 1954 posits that individuals have a natural drive to compare their own attributes and abilities with the abilities and attributes of others. Jun 11, 2017 in the early 1950s, the behavioral sciences division of the ford foundation gave leon festinger a grant, which was part of the program of the laboratory for research in social relations. Psychometric properties of the social comparison motives scale. Delving into motivations for and the impact of social comparison among students. Social comparison theory, based on ones drive for selfevaluation, was first coined by leon festinger 1954. Think of a situation in which your assigned derivation might happen in the real life of youth. This theory first proposed in 1954 states that within every individual there is a drive a force to gain selfevaluation and also find a way to define themselves. According to leon festingeras 1954 social comparison theory, we have a need to evaluate our opinions and abilities, to figure out our strengths and weaknesses, in order to have an accurate view of ourselves. Plato spoke of selfunderstanding and absolute standards.
Many criticisms arose regarding festingers similarity hypothesis. Social comparison theory, initially proposed by social psychologist leon festinger in 1954, centers on the belief that there is a drive within individuals to gain accurate selfevaluations. According to the social comparison theory, we determine our personal selfworth based on how we compare to others around us. For this, we are indebted to festinger 1954, whose influential theory of social comparison introduced over a half century ago subsequently gave rise to more refined conceptual developments e. This study examined the implications for social comparison theory of the proposition that women have lower selfconfidence than men when there is a socially defined standard of performance. In order to evaluate themselves, individuals look towards other people they can identify with, and make comparisons. According to festingers 1954 formulation of social comparison theory, 1 human beings leam about themselves by comparing themselves to others. From this grant, he was able to write his first document on the social comparison theory and published it in the journal of human relations in 1954.
But from the perspective of social comparison theory festinger, 1954 people faced. It is 40 years since festinger s 1954 landmark paper highlighting social comparison as a key variable in social relating. In conclusion, a short, theorybased intervention communicating social comparison in. A temporal perspective on social comparisons in organizations. University of groningen the effects of social comparison. Pdf on jan 2, 2018, j p gerber and others published social comparison theory entry for encyclopedia of personality and individual differences find, read and cite all the research you need on. In order to evaluate themselves, individuals look towards other people they can identify with, and make comparisons between themselves and others. Festinger argued that humans have a drive to evaluate their opinions and abilities. Social comparison theory was first proposed by leon festinger in 1954 and asserts that people learn about themselves through comparisons with other people.
In this paper we shall present a further development of a previously published theory concerning opinion influence processes in social groups 7. Leon festinger social comparison theory people need to compare their abilities against those of others. Social comparison theory assumptions types of comparisons. In this paper we shall present a further development of a previously published theory concerning. We draw not only on research that has directly examined competition but also on studies in social comparison and related fields that have significant implications for its analysis. Comparison approach to organizational choice under what circumstances does social information affect choices. According to social comparison theory festinger, 1954, people use such social information to learn about their own situation. Leon festingers social comparison theory the psychology.
A theory of social comparison processes center for human science. A central premise of the theory is that an individual chooses a social. Social comparison theory social comparison theory the social comparison theory was proposed by the social psychologist leon festinger in 1954. Indeed, the holding of incorrect opin ions andor inaccurate appraisals of ones abilities can be pun ishing or even fatal in many situations festinger, 1954, p. Festingers see record 195502305001 theory of social comparison by means of a metatheoretical device, conceptual translation, a semantic algorithm that consists of an informal dictionary and a set of rewriting rules. Festingers social comparison theory provides an important. This may occur with reference to a physical reality. The development of social comparison hinged on several sociopsychological processes, and in order to create this theory, festinger was influenced by research that focused on social communication festinger, 1950, group dynamics, conformity and the autokinetic effect sherif, 1936, compliant behavior, social groups, independence and. Social comparison theory in psychology verywell mind.
Theory and research concerning social comparisons of personal. Pdf a theory of social comparison processes semantic scholar. Festinger based his theory on nine hypotheses see table 4. Social comparison theory assumes that people tend to evaluate their successes, failures and opinions in relation to others festinger, 1954. Aug 31, 2000 comparison of objects, events, and situations is integral to judgment. Deutsch and krauss argued that people actually seek out dissimilar others in their comparisons maintaining that this is important for providing valuable. Because, according to social comparison theory festinger, 1954, similarity. Social comparison, social attractiveness and evolution. Apr 08, 2017 the social comparison theory was developed by social psychologist leon festinger. This paper furthers festinger s views on group influences of opinions and applies it to abilities as well.
Sep 15, 2009 the social comparison theory was developed by leo festinger in 1954, and supposes that human beings are innately driven to evaluate their opinions, abilities and overall selfworth. The social comparison theory was developed by social psychologist leon festinger. A theory of social comparison processes leon festinger, 1954. Social comparison theory states that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others. Intro to psychology b class37 social comparison according. A state of good physical and emotional health allows individuals to freely engage in desired tasks, which in turn promote independence, wellbeing, and life satisfaction.
Steph seidel mass media and public opinion social comparison reaction paper the social comparison theory was developed by leo festinger in 1954, and supposes that human beings are innately driven to evaluate their opinions, abilities and overall selfworth. The theory explains how individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparing themselves to others in order to reduce uncertainty in these domains, and learn how to define the self. But from the perspective of social comparison theory festinger, 1954 people faced with important and ambiguous decisions, such as the choice of an organization to work for, are likely to make their choices. Downward social comparison acts in the opposite direction. The correct answer is that social comparison theory by festinger provides an important rationale for how individuals come to know themselves. Festinger emphasized accurate selfevaluation as the purpose of social comparison. It is suggested that an evolutionary approach adds a new dimension to current theories of social comparison. Nov 22, 20 leon festinger social comparison theory people need to compare their abilities against those of others. Social comparisons are frequently used for selfevaluation.
Hochbaum 18 reports an experiment concerning the effect of knowledge of others opinions on. People make all kinds of judgments about themselves, and one of the key ways that we do this is through social comparison, or analyzing the self in. People sometimes compare themselves to others as a way of. The theory of downward social comparison indicates that comparing oneself to someone. Gilbert, price and allan 1995 state that the need to compare self with others, also recognizable in other species, is. Festinger characterized the individual as largely rational. Leon festinger a theory of social comparison processes. Social comparison theory an overview sciencedirect topics. Festinger proposed that humans have a drive to evaluate themselves and that they evaluate themselves by comparison with others when nonsocial means are unavailable. The theory is a term referring to the process through which people come to know themselves by evaluating their own attitudes, abilities, and beliefs in comparison with others cherry, n. In the initial statement of a theory of social comparison, festinget 1954 limited the comparisons with which the theory was concerned to those involving opinions and abilities. Perhaps the limitation was included because festinger felt that a single theory could not. As social comparison theory states, this quest for selfknowle festinger 1954 social comparison theo individuals are driven by desire for selfevaluation, a motiva.
When abilities are being evaluated, pressures toward uniformity combine. Leon festingers theory of social comparison processes festinger, 1954. Theory and research concerning social comparisons of. People tend to compete with those with similar st slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. This states that people evaluate their own abilities and attitude relative to other peoples. Explain how the social comparison findings, methodology, and theorizing have evolved since the publication of leon festingers theory in 1954.
From the time festinger launched the study of social comparison processes with his seminal paper in 1954, social comparison theory has been applied to virtually every type of evaluation that is important to peoples understanding of who. Social comparison theory festinger was the first to coin the term social comparison however, the general concepts can be traced back to aristotle and plato. Early research in social psychology on level of aspiration and on reference groups contributed to leon festingers social comparison theory, which he proposed in 1954. A theory of social comparison processes show all authors. Festinger 1954 with others who are more similar to us on the relevant dimension. N2 proposes a theory of temporal and historical comparison, developed from l.
In the seminal work on social comparison, festinger 1954 suggested that when individuals are uncertain about their opin ions or abilities, they will compare themselves with others to evaluate their own situation. Bodyrelated social comparison and disordered eating among. Predictors and consequences of target selection among individuals with type 2 diabetes. Social comparison as the thief of joy research explorer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between bodyrelated social comparison brsc and eating disorders eds by. Wood, 1989, 1996, resulting in a massive contemporary literature on social comparison processes e. The old one states that members of a particular group would want to be parallel with each other because a uniform agreement must be made so that the group is able to come up with a common decision. 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.
Social comparison and the idealized images of advertising. Feb 21, 2014 the social comparison theory was proposed by the social psychologist leon festinger in 1954. Cultural differences in social comparison on facebook. Social comparison theory and drive for self evaluation. Social comparison theory festinger 1954 is directly applicable to the notion that consumers compare themselves with persons portrayed in ads. Festinger proposed that humans have a drive to evaluate themselves and that they evaluate themselves by comparison.
According to social comparison theory festinger, we compare ourselves to others in order to evaluate the opinions, abilities and our inner states, especially when there is no objective criterion for evaluation. Social comparison theory in the context of chronic illness. In the early 1950s, the behavioral sciences division of the ford foundation gave leon festinger a grant, which was part of the program of the laboratory for research in social relations. Deutsch and krauss argued that people actually seek out dissimilar others in their comparisons maintaining that this is important for providing valuable selfknowledge, as demonstrated in research. When psychologists think of social comparison theory, they initially recall leon festingers classic paper on a theory of social comparison processes. Festinger 1954 a theory of social comparison processes. After four decades of research, the topic of social comparison is more popular than ever. Festingers social comparison theory psychology essay.
Leon festinger, 1954 theory of social comparison wild. A comparison of the self to another who does better than or is superior to us. This paper furthers festingers views on group influences of opinions and applies it to abilities as well. Social comparison processes between workers play a potentially important role both within firms and in the labor market. Write about the interaction between affect and social comparison.
Contributors describe how the original social comparison theory formulated by leon festinger in the early 1950s has been modified as a result of new insights from attribution, social cognition, and self theories. The theory explains how individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparing themselves to others in order to reduce uncertainty in these. Social comparison has a long history in the literature. Social comparison theory festinger 1954 suggested that people compare themselves to others because for many domains and attributes there is no objective yardstick to evaluate ourselves against, and other people are therefore highly informative. According to the social comparison theory festinger 1954 such. A social comparison approach to organizational choice. When psychologists think of social comparison theory, they initially recall leon festinger s classic paper on a theory of social comparison processes. A theory of social comparison processes, retrieved september 12, 2007, from hum.
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