Social comparison theory
Social comparison theory is a psychological concept that posits that individuals assess their own worth and abilities by comparing themselves to others. This theory, introduced by Leon Festinger in 1954, emphasizes that people often evaluate their qualities, such as appearance, body weight, and socio-economic status, against those of their peers. The phrase "keeping up with the Joneses" illustrates this idea, where individuals strive to match their neighbors in terms of material wealth and overall appearance. Social comparison can be upward, where individuals look to more successful peers for motivation, or downward, where they compare themselves to those they perceive as less successful to feel better about their own situation.
The impact of social comparison is significant, especially among children and adolescents who often gauge their self-worth against the standards set by their peers and the media. This can lead to negative outcomes, such as body dissatisfaction and an increased risk of eating disorders, as young people grapple with unrealistic beauty ideals often portrayed in magazines and on social media. Understanding social comparison theory can provide insights into human behavior, self-esteem, and the psychological effects of societal pressures, highlighting the need for awareness and sensitivity regarding these comparisons in diverse contexts.
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Social comparison theory
Social comparison theory is a psychological theory that suggests people determine their individual value by comparing themselves to others. People relate their qualities to the qualities of the people they meet and compare themselves on appearance, body weight, and socioeconomic status. The phrase "keeping up with the Joneses" represents social comparison theory. People try to "keep up" with their hypothetical neighbors in terms of material wealth and appearance.
People who wish to measure their success often look at others in their professional field. An architect might look at how many buildings their colleagues have designed or how much the colleagues were paid for their designs and compare themself to them. A pizza shop owner might compare the interior of their restaurant to other local restaurants and then try to create a more visually appealing interior. The owner would also compare menu items and prices to remain competitive.
Social comparison theory is not limited to adults. Children begin comparing themselves to others from an early age.
Background
Leon Festinger was the first social psychologist to use the phrase "social comparison," and he created the social comparison theory, which was first published in 1954 in The Journal of Human Relations. Festinger's theory is simply that people assess their own abilities and their potential by comparing themselves to others.
Festinger's first hypothesis of social comparison theory is that people have a need to analyze their abilities and opinions. They confirm and assess their opinions through the observation of others. The second hypothesis of social comparison theory says that without specific physical context people will evaluate their opinions and abilities comparatively to others. Often, people do not have the means to test their opinions or abilities objectively in the real world. Lacking such opportunities, they will use other people to gauge themselves.
Festinger believed that people who compare themselves to similar people in similar lines of work have accurate ideas about their own abilities. When people compare themselves to others who are not as successful, they feel better about themselves. For example, a student might have forgotten a homework assignment. They might assuage their frustration by reminding themself that the student who sits behind them has not turned in a single assignment all semester. This is called "downward comparison." Yet, if a person truly wants to motivate themself, they might look at someone similar to them who is performing better. They can assess what this other person is doing, and try to do the same. This is called "upward comparison." For example, the student who forgot their paper might consider what practices the student on their left uses, because that hypothetical student has straight As and never forgets an assignment. They notice that the better student uses an assignment book and studies in the free time at the end of class. The student can improve their own performance by using these methods too. To do as well as the straight-A student, they must realize the specific areas that require their diligence and attempt to improve.
Overview
According to Festinger, there are two goals of social comparison when one is engaging in upward comparison. These goals are self-evaluation and self-enhancement. One must want to objectively assess and evaluate their own strengths and shortcomings. One must also want to improve upon these shortcomings.
This can be more complicated than the hypothetical student comparing themself to their classmates. Organization and high grades are objective, but people sometimes compare themselves on subjective matters, such as beauty. There are many definitions of beauty, and these vary from person to person. Young people, especially, compare themselves to their peers in terms of attractiveness. In addition, they will compare themselves to the images they see in the world around them, including images of celebrities and models found in magazines, on television, and on the internet, particularly social media. Looking at these "perfect" people can make adolescents feel poorly about their own bodies.
For example, young people may spend a great deal of time watching beautiful people on television. They compare themselves to these unrealistic standards and end up feeling that their own bodies are inadequate. However, television is not the only place where poor social comparisons may be made. Magazines and the internet can contribute to these comparisons as well. Magazines, websites, and social media platforms are filled with ads and articles on weight loss, constantly reminding readers that society holds thin and/or muscular body types up as ideals of attractiveness.
Researchers have suggested that there is a relationship between body-related social comparison and eating disorders. Some studies have found that adolescents who have eating disorders engage in much more body-related social comparison than their peers who do not have eating disorders. Many researchers have found a strong correlation between a drive to be thin and dissatisfaction with one's body and body-related social comparison.
Bibliography
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