The social comparison theory is the belief that media influence, social status, and other forms of competitiveness can affect our self-esteem and mood. Social media posts, however, are overwhelming, and as a result, we are often engaging in upward social comparisons. Generally, individuals wish to maintain a positive social identity by maintaining their group's favorable social standing over that of relevant out-groups. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (2013). Although data collected in this manner is extremely useful, there is no doubt that the analysis is laborious and time consuming. 1. similarity. Liu, Q. Q., Zhou, Z. K., Yang, X. J., Niu, G. F., Tian, Y., & Fan, C. Y. Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Relationships Exercises for free. In his 1954 paper, Festinger outlined nine hypotheses about our behavior and motivations when using social comparisons under different scenarios. , That's about all the social comparison related words we've got! Assimilative and contrastive emotional reactions to upward and downward social comparisons. Social comparison is a bi-directional phenomenon where we can compare ourselves to people who are better than us". If you're looking for names related to social comparison (e.g. This is an example of upward social comparison. .". (1988). Hence, they make comparisons in terms of wealth, intelligence, and success, for example. It appeared that the participants were less willing to openly declare in the questionnaire that they engaged in social comparisons, but this behavior was evident in their interviews. However, these two types of assessments are not equally useful. Selfie-editing is not associated with one's satisfaction with facial appearance. Feinstein, B. downward comparisons. Furthermore, group members who perform most similar to the group norm are the least motivated to change their behavior or opinion away from the accepted standard and, instead, are more motivated to change the behavior and opinions of other group members. has something to do with social comparison, then it's obviously a good idea to use concepts or words to do with social comparison. When we can, we may put these comparisons to the test in real-world settings. Some comparisons might make you feel inadequate and less likely to pursue a goal, while others giveyou confidence and help boost your self-esteem.. .". Upward assimilative comparisons are motivating because we believe that we can achieve the same level of success, whereas downward assimilative comparisons remind us that we could easily do worse. For example: For each item, participants indicate their level of agreement on a five-point scale, ranging from I disagree strongly to I agree strongly. The scale has high reliability (ranging between .78 to .85 for various samples), indicating that the measurements are stable. This isnt surprising. By Kendra Cherry Thanks for using the site - I hope it is useful to you! Social comparison theory concerns the psychological processes by which individuals compare themselves to other people. HERES WHERE TO DONATE YOUR MONEY. When group membership and conforming to group norms are desirable, then we are more likely to reject members who are very different from us. comparison to people. the lion's share. ),, Wheeler, L. (1966). n. comparability n. # association similarity n. # correspondence equivalence n. # accord , effigy resemblance n. # correspondence contrast n. # judgment analogy n. # flower compared adj. In literature, this comparison is known as social comparison. In turn, this can affect individuals outlook on themselves and how they fit in with others. In J. Suls & L. Wheeler (Eds. The article was published when? Afterward, well examine the relationship between depression and social comparison, as well as social media and social comparison. You can get the definition (s) of a word in the list below by tapping the question-mark icon next to it. However, downward social comparisons might cause us unhappiness because we are reminded that the situation always has the potential to worsen, or we might feel unhappy knowing the situation can become worse. Social psychologist Leon Festinger developed social comparison theory in the 1950s. Sometimes we may choose to handicap ourselves by choosing someone who is extremely superior (Shepperd & Taylor, 1999). These individuals also reported more resultant depressive symptoms (Liu et al., 2017). I always like to know what others in a similar situation would do. This article was published on the 7th of July, 2020. There is some evidence that increased use of social media is associated with more negative feelings. My friend met her target weight. when compared to. Let's take a closer look at how social comparison theory works and how the comparisons we make influence the views we may hold of ourselves. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.. I want to work hard so that I can earn the same amount as my boss. The emotion toward the comparison person that is evoked through the comparison differs for contrastive and assimilative outcomes. I am less motivated when the comparison person treats me poorly. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. More 520 Comparison synonyms. The remaining five items ask about opinions. Synonyms for IN COMPARISON (TO): as opposed to, compared to, contrasted (to), in contrast (to), athwart, contrary to, with, against, agin, anti Specifically, individuals with the following traits are more likely to engage in social comparison (Buunk & Gibbons, 2007): Upward social comparison was thought to result in more negative feelings (e.g., shame, inferiority); the research, however, is equivocal. One explanation is that we engage in more upward social comparisons on social media than we would in real life, which results in feelings of inferiority and envy. Or how do you know that your opinion about climate change is correct? Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The social comparison process involves people coming to know themselves by evaluating their own attitudes, abilities, and traits in comparison with others. This is easier said than done. Synonym of Social comparison: English Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia Social comparison theory The theory explains how individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparing themselves to othe Translation Dictionary Thesaurus Tools Babylon NG The world's best online dictionary Download it's free upward comparisons. Festinger was more interested in comparisons that used objective metrics; however, he recognized that most comparisons in the real world were a mix of objective and subjective metrics. the largest part. Copyright 1999 - 2022, TechTarget Teens tend to focus on qualities such as perceived attractiveness and popularity when they engage in social comparison. In most cases, we try to compare ourselves to those in our peer group or with whom we are similar. There are two kinds of social comparisonupward social comparison and downward social comparison. For people with depression, social comparison can have mixed effects. If the evaluation highlights that we are performing poorly, then there are two possible outcomes. At least I dont drink as much alcohol as other people I know. When an individual has a view or an ability that is extremely divergent from the group, then that individual might be forced to leave the group in favor of another one, or the original group might split into a small subgroup. Nicole | Community Manager. When John Bowlby (1988) introduced his theory of attachment, he described the psychotherapist as being like a responsive mother with a child; they must be [], Childhood experiences can influence the traits we express in adulthood. Social comparison theory was initially proposed by social psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954. I kind of looked up to him. Frison & Eggermont, 2015. up against. When one engages in social comparison, one may attempt (consciously or subconsciously) to self-evaluate or self-enhance. Comparability, similarity, resemblance, analogy. They get along so well and never fight, unlike us. Very insightful piece! Were more likely to engage in downward social comparisons in situations where our sense of self and wellbeing is under threat; these downward social comparisons make us feel better about ourselves (Wills, 1981). For upward comparisons, we are seen as more inferior to the comparison person, and for downward comparisons, we are considered as more superior. noun contrasting; corresponding synonyms for comparisons Compare Synonyms analogy connection contrast correlation example identification juxtaposition observation ratio relation resemblance similarity testing allegory association balancing collation comparability discrimination estimation exemplification illustration likeness likening measuring 'comparison' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): analogy - association - collation - equation - metaphor - ratio - simile - symbolism - trope. Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology. You can get the definition(s) of a word in the list below by tapping the question-mark icon next to it. The impact of social comparison results from psychological mechanisms: self-evaluation, self-improvement, and self-enhancement (Miller et al., 2015). Each of us has relied on upward or downward social experiences. Cookie Preferences Below is a massive list of social comparison words - that is, words related to social comparison. Festinger, L. (1954). I always pay a lot of attention to how I do things compared to how others do things. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. (1985) reported a group of patients who were diagnosed with cancer and asked them how much contact they had with other patients, whether they compared their current situation with that of other people, and then to evaluate how well they were coping in comparison. What are another words for Comparison? thesaurus. The Social Comparison Theory involves two types of comparison: upward and downward. Sometimes upward social comparison can be very motivating; for example, we might aspire to follow in the footsteps of a role model. WikiMatrix. . For example, a brand that seeks to represent wealth, coolness or youth that is sold as a symbol of social status. definitions. Comparisons can be further classified as contrastive or assimilative. the mass. Couple Z makes it look so easy. Festinger (1954) suggests that when the comparison person is deemed superior or very different to us, then we might consider them not to be a viable comparison. In literature, this comparison is known as social comparison. Within a group, there may be an individual whose ability or opinion diverges significantly from the other members. How many times have you compared yourself to your friends or colleagues using a trait that you consider desirable, for example, money or success? Pemberton, M., & Sedikides, C. (2001). social comparison theory. We may sabotage the efforts of other people so that they perform less well (Pemberton & Sedikides, 2001). Social comparison theory is centered on the belief that there is a drive within individuals to gain accurate self-evaluations. Introduced by Leon Festinger in 1954, the theory describes the comparison processes people utilize to evaluate their actions, accomplishments, and opinions in contrast to those of other people. Appreciation: Individual differences in finding value and meaning as a unique predictor of subjective well-being. Festinger (1954) argued that we are driven to assess our abilities and opinions to: This benchmark is referred to as the level of aspiration. My friend is smarter than I am. Social comparisons are described as either upward or downward. When race day arrives, you might find yourself surrounded by people who are much more athletic than you and realize that your initial assessment of your abilities was overly optimistic. suggest new. If your pet/blog/etc. We all engage in these behaviors. Most people have the social skills and impulse control . East-west traffic, in a networking context, is the transfer of data packets from server to server within a data center. Some evidence exists that the immediate use of social media results in: The relationship between upward social comparison on social media and depression is more complicated than it appears. sentences. Hey Thanks for a nice read! Looking beyond zoom fatigue: The relationship between video chatting a. For contrastive outcomes, the difference between us and the comparison person is emphasized to such an extent that we feel resentment toward them, and our current state is undesirable, leading to feelings of depression. So it's the sort of list that would be useful for helping you build a social comparison vocabulary list, or just a general social comparison word list for whatever purpose, but it's not necessarily going to be useful if you're looking for words that mean the same thing as social comparison (though it still might be handy for that). Social comparison triggers a feeling of helplessness and despair about your failure to achieve comparable levels. Social identity theory is built on three key cognitive components: social categorization, social identification, and social comparison. 1 : the act or process of comparing: such as a : the representing of one thing or person as similar to or like another His poetry invites comparison with the poems of Robert Frost. Self-evaluations are problematic because our assessments of our skills and opinions are unstable and unreliable. (1986). HAS? All Rights Reserved, In contrast, when we engage in downward social comparison, we compare ourselves to someone who is (perceived to be or performing) worse than we are. Lower frequency of social media appearance comparison was associated with higher preadolescent appearance and life satisfaction, and lower depressive symptoms. However, there is ample evidence that focusing on gratitude, rather than negative circumstances, neutral events that are neither positive nor negative, or downward social comparisons, leads to: To develop gratitude, follow the procedure used by Emmons and McCullough (2003): If you need help finding items, think back to something that has happened in the last week that youre grateful for. Any disagreements in the coding would need to be resolved before coding continued. Bad comparison Synonyms Bad replaced poor comparison Definitions for Bad (adjective) falling short of a standard (adjective) not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable (adjective) causing or capable of causing harm Synonyms for phrase evil example poor similarity poor analogy evil contrast wrong analogy unpleasant example These types of comparisons with similar individuals yield more useful, reliable assessments. Participants with high optimism experienced a weaker relationship between using social media and symptoms of depression; optimism buttressed them from the harmful effects of upward social comparison on social media. This theory explains why cancer patients felt afraid when they met other cancer patients who were worse off; they had adopted downward assimilative social comparisons. thesaurus. The presence of optimism further mediates this relationship. Marsh, H. W., & Parker, J. W. (1984). Nevertheless, we often compare our own real lives to an idealized version of the lives of others, based on their posts, which can lead to feelings of inferiority. Recent forum discussions about thesaurus entries: 'All the' Comparison - English Only forum 2010;131(1):54-63. Buunk and Gibbons (2007) argue that people with certain personality types are more likely to make social comparisons. Self-evaluation via the social comparison theory takes place when someone chooses to compare themselves to another person to gain a better understanding of themselves. 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. Each of us was born in a unique set of circumstances, in a unique environment, and our successes are not limited by the people who we compare ourselves to. Find 45 ways to say SOCIAL, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Amoroso, D. M, & Walters, R. H. (1969). Ad-free experience & advanced Chrome extension. The three variables indirectly increase selfie-editing over time through comparison. Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology. For example, what would make a political opinion correct? How would I know if I am more honest than other people? WHEN A CALCULUS CLASS ABRUPTLY BECAME CERAMICS AT LINCOLN HIGH, ANCIENT LYSTROSAURUS TUSKS MAY SHOW THE OLDEST SIGNS OF A HIBERNATION-LIKE STATE, TRUMPS ABC NEWS TOWN HALL: FOUR PINOCCHIOS, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, CLIMATE CHANGE WILL FORCE A NEW AMERICAN MIGRATION, HOW TO EARN YOUR PLACE IN GOOGLES INDEX IN 2020, FLAWS AND ASSUMPTIONS RENDER 101 ASH ST. ASSESSMENT MEANINGLESS, WHY CANT SCHOOLS GET WHAT THE N.F.L. To summarize, the false-consensus effect can be seen as stemming from both social comparison theory and the concept of projection. If she finds that her abilities do not measure up to her peer's talents, she might be driven to achieve more and improve her abilities. american craft beer week 2022 nyc; casa amor 2022 line up girls; 3 ways to query bigquery in python; social class research paper; us army multicam assault pack "or worse than us". When asked who individuals wanted to compare themselves with, the majority chose people who achieve higher scores (Wheeler, 1966). 1954;7(2):117-140. doi:10.1177/001872675400700202. Downward comparison principles in social psychology. "or worse than us". When making a social evaluation, we are unlikely to compare ourselves with a randomly chosen individual; instead, we are inclined to draw comparisons with individuals whose ability or opinion we judge as being close to our own. When do individuals help close others improve? A figure of speech containing an implied comparison, in which a word or phrase ordinarily and primarily used of one thing is applied to another (Ex. Experiencing positive emotions such as happiness. For this purpose, the method of the study is the case study design, which is a qualitative research design, and the data were analyzed with the method of document analysis. When we engage in upward social comparison, we compare ourselves to someone who is (perceived to be or performing) better than we are. We feel admiration for the comparison person and optimism about our own state; we can achieve the same level as them. In comparison, your performance is much better. It generates anger towards your superiors. People tend to create a curated version, either consciously or unconsciously deciding how they want to depict themselves, their activities, their opinions and their environments. Both types of social comparison can result in negative and positive effects. 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. 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 relation to others. First, we may aim to improve our behavior so that we are more similar to the other individuals. Lists. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. With upward social comparisons, we can become motivated to strive toward new achievements because someone like us has reached these achievements too; however, we might also be constantly reminded that we are inferior to someone else. 3. My colleague always manages to balance work and life. Ascribing advantages to social comparison targets. Of the possible outcomes that Festinger (1954) presents, the most interesting are the following: If the individual and the group differ in opinion, it is very likely that the individuals opinion will change and conform to that of the group. Unlike downward social comparison, the comparison person in upward social comparisons always has the desirable outcome; we want to achieve what they have. As she evaluates her skills and progress, she will compare her performance to other students in the class. In the former, we might feel contempt for them; in the latter, we might feel pity. Increased public and private self-consciousness, More empathy and sensitivity toward others, Increased depressive symptoms (Feinstein et al., 2013), Experience of depressive episodes three weeks later (Feinstein et al., 2013), Lower self-esteem (de Vries & Khne, 2015; Liu et al., 2017), Lower body image (de Vries & Khne, 2015; Liu et al., 2017), Higher levels of optimism (which is a buffer against the negative effects of downward social comparisons), More prosocial behavior (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). The instability of our self-assessments is due to the volatility of our self-imposed benchmarks. Introduction Social comparison has been a continuously active research topic in social and personality psychology since 1954. Toward a self-evaluation maintenance model of social behavior. the larger part. metaphor n. # flower , link likeness n. # resemblance juxtaposition n. # relationship correspondence n. # similarity correlation n. # resemblance collation n. You can also filter the word list so it only shows words that are also related to another word of your choosing. You might then compare your abilities to a friend who couldn't make a basket to save his life. The increased pervasiveness of social media use has raised questions about potential effects on users' subjective well-being, with studies reaching contrasting conclusions. The top 4 are: group, social, sociality and sociable. In instances where an objective metric doesnt exist, we can rely on either self-evaluation or social evaluation. If the only other option is to compare ourselves to someone whose skill level or opinion is exceptionally different from our own, then we seem to avoid making a comparison at all. We might not be great at something, but at least we are better off than someone else.. Knowing this, what can we do instead? Random . This comparative educational study aims to analyze the values in the Sachunterricht (Social Studies) 1/2 textbook in Germany and in the 2nd-grade Social Studies textbook in Turkey according to the "Basic Human Values Theory". Social comparisons are normal. Along [], Chamber of Commerce (KvK) Registration Number: 64733564, 6229 HN Maastricht, 2022 PositivePsychology.com B.V. A Dark Side of Telework: A Social Comparison-Based Study from the Pers. (1981). 12 other terms for social comparisons - words and phrases with similar meaning. antonyms. Even more so, according to Gilbert, Price, and Allan (1995), the need to compare the self with others is found in many other species as well, and has evolved as a very adaptive mechanism for sizing up one's competitors.With respect to humans, theorizing and research on social comparison can be . Although we all engage in social comparison behaviors, we might do so at varying rates. 1 other term for social-networking- words and phrases with similar meaning. We hope you enjoyed reading this article. If you struggle to refrain from social comparisons, try to reframe the social comparisons so that you can express gratitude. In such situations, the open-ended interview would be transcribed and then coded by two independent coders using a logbook. For example, I would need to choose an appropriate comparison person when making a meaningful judgment about my daily work productivity. Someone similar to me would be a good example (e.g., approximately the same age and education without children), and I would not compare myself against someone exceptionally dissimilar (e.g., a parent who is trying to work while keeping an eye on their children). Social replaced . If you don't find what you're looking for in the list below, or if there's some sort of bug and it's not displaying social comparison related words, please send me feedback using this page. De Vries, D. A., & Khne, R. (2015). When you compare yourself with lower levels of society, it initiates the emotions of gratitude and guilt. Digital marketing is a general term for any effort by a company to connect with customers through electronic technology. when compared with. Festinger's social comparison theory, developed in 1954, states that people compare themselves in order to self-evaluate. Below is a massive list of upward social comparison words - that is, words related to upward social comparison. See how your sentence looks with different synonyms. Wills, T. A. Your email address will not be published. Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life.. Smith (2000) provides an extremely useful figure that we have replicated below. Good examples of survival behaviors and beliefs include running quickly (so that you can outrun a lion) and having an opinion about how newly discovered food should be eaten. Negative social comparison on Facebook and depressive symptoms: Rumination as a mechanism. For example, imagine that a high school student has just signed up for band class to learn how to play the clarinet. Social comparison refers to a behavior where we compare certain aspects of ourselves (e.g., our behavior, opinions, status, and success) to other people so that we have a better assessment of ourselves (Buunk & Gibbons, 2007). Synonyms & Near Synonyms for comparison analogy, likening equation, equivalence, equivalency, par, parity affinity, association, connection linkage relation relationship correlation, interrelation semblance identicalness, identity, sameness , community, , correspondence, likeness, parallelism, resemblance, similarity, similitude Smith (2000) further expands this argument by arguing that: (a) These contrastive and assimilative outcomes can result in positive and negative feelings specifically. Mathematics anxiety according to middle school students' achievement motivation and social comparison. in comparison with. As you compare yourself to others, consider how both upward and downward social comparison might influence your self-belief, confidence, motivation, and attitude, and watch out for negative feelings that might emerge as a result of this process. When people believe that the represented lives of others are superior to their own, social comparison can lead to issues caused by the fear of missing out (FOMO), including anxiety, depression and a lack of self-esteem. Stop comparing yourself to other people, just choose to be happy and live your own life.. Social comparison is the act of contrasting one's own life with the lives of other people as they are publicly represented. Abstract Keywords Upward social comparison can be helpful because it allows for self-enhancement; for example, we might feel motivated to improve our performance (Collins, 1996). comparison of people. (2017). Second, we may strive to influence the other individuals so that they become more similar to us (this tactic is more apt when trying to change opinions than abilities). We can browse our friends photographs, read updates about their lives, and learn about big and special events. Psychologist Leon Festinger believed that we engage in this comparison process as a way of establishing a benchmark by which we can make accurate evaluations of ourselves. Instead, we should be grateful for what we have achieved and grateful that we can continue to achieve what we desire. the greatest number. When individuals dislike exposure to an actively coping role model: Mood change as related to depression and social comparison orientation. Contrastive outcomes result in desirable outcomes for us; we feel pride because we are better. Assimilative outcomes remind us that we could be in the same situation as the comparison, and this realization induces fear or worry. As to the building systems, Kitchell recommended replacement of the major systems based on a conclusory, As big as that sacrifice seems, it seems small in, TRUMP AND HIS CAMPAIGN TRY TO ALLAY CONCERNS ABOUT TRAILING BIDEN IN TELEVISION ADS. One pleasant Saturday afternoon, Mr. Jones arrives home from the car dealership in a brand-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the entry-level sedan in the Mercedes family of cars. Dont forget to download our three Positive Relationships Exercises for free. 431). One of the challenges of social comparison theory is deciding who were going to compare ourselves to, especially since the outcome of the social comparison differs according to the type of comparison (contrastive/assimilative), as well as our characteristics. The distinction is more nuanced than merely positive and negative outcomes, though. You might immediately think of a friend who plays on his school's basketball team. Gibbons, F. X. Social comparison has grown substantially in the last 50 years, and there has been a great deal of empirical research on the impact of different types of comparisons. In L. Berkowitz (Ed. According to some studies, as much as 10 percent of our thoughts involve comparisons of some kind. If the individual and the group differ in ability, then it is unlikely that the ability level will change; instead, the individual will develop feelings of inferiority. Built with love in the Netherlands. Group membership plays an essential role in evaluations. the preponderance. Synonyms for by comparison include comparative, relative, approximate, qualified, near, modified, allusive, analogous, approaching and comparable. If we find that our ability/opinion is highly similar to the benchmark of perceived-to-be-similar individuals, then we feel more emboldened and confident in our abilities/opinions. It should be immediately evident that the origin of social comparison theory is quite complex. 2022 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Social comparison is a bi-directional phenomenon where we can compare ourselves to people who are better than us" upward comparisons "or worse than us" downward comparisons ." Engaging in either of these two comparisons on a performance dimension can affect our self-evaluation. This can be especially important for people who are transitioning from one stage of their lives to another and dont know whether they are performing at the optimal level. But you might also realize that you can eventually achieve a similar skill level with a little practice. Wood et al. Introduced by Leon Festinger in 1954, the theory describes the comparison processes people utilize to evaluate their actions, accomplishments, and opinions in contrast to those of other people. If you just care about the words' direct semantic similarity to social comparison, then there's probably no need for this. Psychologists claim that peer comparisons. Full list of synonyms for Comparison is here. Social comparison in adjustment to breast cancer. In this case, the upward social comparison may make you more motivated to improve upon your abilities. Goals Of Social Comparison. Similar words for Social Relation. Social cooperation Synonyms. The direction of the comparison doesnt guarantee the direction of the outcome. Despite the high reliability, researchers accept and recognize that admitting making social comparisons is considered very undesirable; for these reasons, it is probably always better to follow up any assessment with an open-ended interview or questions to probe some of the responses on the scale (Buunk & Gibbons, 2007). Still, one pattern seems clear: the outcome of social comparisons hinges on who we are, who we are comparing ourselves to, and what we want from the comparison. 1. Do Not Sell My Personal Info, Secrets of successful corporate wellness programs, Psychology Today discusses social comparison, Putting tech ethics to work is the right thing to do, Parkinson's law of triviality (bikeshedding), ISO 50001 (International Organization for Standardization 50001), CRM (customer relationship management) analytics. It could be a lot worse! These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients build healthy, life-enriching relationships. Effects of anxiety and socially mediated anxiety reduction on paired-associate learning. A., Hershenberg, R., Bhatia, V., Latack, J. Social comparison can motivate people to improve, but it can also promote judgmental, biased, and overly competitive or superior attitudes. (EP. In more extreme examples, we may even exclude these individuals from our social group (Festinger, 1954) or isolate ourselves from others (Tesser, 1988). The definition of a similarity is a quality or state of having something in common. He is so much happier and more successful than I am.. Not all group members are included in comparisons. Social comparison is used to refer to the process by which individuals compare themselves to others. I think to be in the role he is now, and people be telling me that I am the face of Japans multiculturalism is something Ive always dreamed about., Naomi Osaka describing how Apolo Ohno is her role model. These members are no longer included in our social comparisons. So although you might see some synonyms of social comparison in the list below, many of the words below will have other relationships with social comparison - you could see a word with the exact opposite meaning in the word list, for example. For example, the benchmark that I set for myself today for being productive might differ from my benchmark tomorrow. ), Tesser, A. helps me a lot for making my questioner. Instead of the desired effect, where we assess our abilities and opinions against a realistic, achievable benchmark (or role model), social comparisons can result in the opposite outcome, where we compare our behavior to an unrealistic benchmark and subsequently develop low self-esteem. But what would happen if a second comparison group doesnt exist, or if the original group is a highly desirable one? We may develop feelings of inferiority because we are reminded that we are inferior, leading to negative emotions such as depression (Marsh & Parker, 1984). Their greater response to downward social comparisons is not echoed in upward social comparisons. Shepperd, J. The effect of upward social comparison is variable. When I see couple X fight, Im reminded to be grateful for my relationship. Individual differences in social comparison: Development of a scale of social comparison orientation. Festinger (1954) argued that the level of aspiration that we use is more stable when we use similarly skilled individuals for comparison than when we compare ourselves to individuals whose skills/opinions differ significantly from our own. A., Meuwly, N., & Davila, J. Social comparison theory suggests that people value their own personal and social worth by assessing how they compare to others. She might initially compare her abilities to the other members of the clarinet section, particularly noting those who are better than her as well as those who are worse. The top 4 are: socially, socialism, association and affiliation. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003) defines a motive as "something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act." Social comparison motive, the construct that is the basis for this instrument, is defined as the need or desire that causes a person to socially compare with others. Festinger (1954) proposed that social comparison was driven by a need to evaluate ourselves so that we had more information about ourselves; however, more recent theory suggests that social comparison is motivated by three drives (Gibbons & Buunk, 1999): The concept of social comparison has expanded dramatically from a limited theory that only addressed opinions and abilities to include more abstract concepts such as job satisfaction and overall life success. These types of views and behaviors are not that relevant to current modern life, but we can easily think of examples of behaviors and opinions that are still important; for example, how would you know if you worked a sufficient number of hours in a day? There are already a bunch of websites on the net that help you find synonyms for various words, but only a handful that help you find related, or even loosely associated words. But the comparison point in a gratitude exercise remains constant despite our surroundings and circumstances, and in that, we can feel content. For example, when cancer patients meet other patients whose illness has progressed further, they reported that they felt threatened. In contrast, social evaluations are more stable and informative, and we tend to prefer them to self-assessments. But I have little upward drive for topics that are of no interest to me. Employee retention is the organizational goal of keeping productive and talented workers and reducing turnover by fostering a A hybrid work model is a workforce structure that includes employees who work remotely and those who work on site, in a company's CRM (customer relationship management) analytics comprises all of the programming that analyzes data about customers and presents Conversational marketing is marketing that engages customers through dialogue. For these comparisons, we need to rely on more subjective metrics. Perhaps some of these examples resonate with you. Contents 1 Leon Festinger 2 Initial framework 3 Theoretical advances Social comparison theory hypothesizes that downward social comparisons should elevate how we feel about our current state, and we can take comfort in knowing that we could be worse off. synonyms. Assimilative comparisons describe comparisons where the compared persons circumstances could easily be our own. Parental involvement. I want to achieve that. Introduction: Social Comparison. For example, students starting college might feel overwhelmed with academic and social expectations, and graduates starting their first job might also rely on social comparisons as a way to judge their performance. A good way to think about the relationship between contrastive and assimilative comparisons is that contrast increases the distance between the comparison person and us and assimilation reduces the gap. Social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, are good examples of modern-day opportunities for social comparison. How Does Social Comparison Influence Chinese Adolescents' Flourishing . comparison of individuals. ['rilen'] an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together. Direction of Comparison. The quality of being different as a result of being compared to each other The use of a word or phrase to refer to something that it isn't, invoking a direct similarity between the word or phrase used and the thing described more Noun The act, or result, of comparing two things or people contrast differentiation juxtaposition collation Social comparison theory suggests that people value their own personal and social worth by assessing how they compare to others. Wood, J. V., Taylor, S. E., & Lichtman, R. R. (1985). The results below obviously aren't all going to be applicable for the actual name of your pet/blog/startup/etc., but hopefully they get your mind working and help you see the links between various concepts. So, you might sign up for a marathon believing that you have the ability to finish with no problem. When people believe that the represented lives of others are superior to their own, social comparison can lead to issues caused by the fear of missing out ( FOMO ), including anxiety, depression and a lack of self-esteem. Clinically depressed individuals who reported that they often used social comparisons experience a positive change in their mood when their levels of aspirations were easily achievable (i.e., assimilative upward social comparison). Digital accessibility is design of technology products and environments to help people with various disabilities not be impeded or otherwise unable to partake in use of the service, product or function. Count Your . We all compare ourselves to others in our social worlds, whether by comparing our looks to those of celebrities we see in the media or our talents to those of our coworkers. the greatest part. Adler, M. G., & Fagley, N. S. (2005). Upward and downward social comparisons can lead to negative or positive outcomes. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar. At first you may feel discouraged by the gap between your ability levels. Read our, How Social Media Comparisons Can Create Stress, The 9 Major Research Areas in Social Psychology, How to Be More Confident: 9 Tips That Work, How Self-Disclosure Affects Relationships, How the Theory of Mind Helps Us Understand Others, Self Efficacy and Why Believing in Yourself Matters, There's a Lot to Learn From Sports PsychologyEven if You Aren't an Athlete, Study Confirms Self-Esteem as Key Predictor of Suicidality in College Students, Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox, Mathematics anxiety according to middle school students' achievement motivation and social comparison. Below is a massive list of social comparison words - that is, words related to social comparison. (b) These feelings can be directed inward toward ourselves or outward to the compared individual. Organizational goals are strategic objectives that a company's management establishes to outline expected outcomes and guide Spatial computing broadly characterizes the processes and tools used to capture, process and interact with 3D data. Verywell Mind's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Social Comparison Theory was first proposed by social psychologist, Leon Festinger in 1954. To reconcile these discrepancies and shed new light on this phenomenon, the current study examined: (1) whether upward social comparison and self-esteem mediate the association between social networking site (SNS) usage . For example, when you compare yourself to your friends you might feel that you are pretty physically fit. Using this comparison point, instead of a different person, might help you focus on the positive aspects of your life currently. If you have any feedback for the site, please share it here, but please note this is only a hobby project, so I may not be able to make regular updates to the site. Direction of Comparison. In comparison to him, your performance is not nearly as skilled. Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). As social status is a basic human desire, it is common for firms to try to deliver this as a product or service. Social comparison and depression: Companys effect on misery. Although the authors were expecting evidence of social comparisons to arise from the closed questions, instead they found many instances of spontaneous mentioning of social comparisons during the interview. business names, or pet names), this page might help you come up with ideas. words. The term is particularly relevant to social media. In conclusion, well offer a better strategy, one that we think supersedes social comparison behaviors and is more powerful: gratitude. For better or worse: The impact of social comparison on self-evaluations.. He was one of the first high-profile sportspeople that was half Japanese. The following factors moderate the strength of the upward drive: However, we are not always motivated to improve our ability/skill/opinion after upward social comparison, and upward social comparison can have detrimental effects. We compare ourselves to others to see if we are good enough, smart enough, attractive enough, etc. Collectors of such items tend to compare these possessions and experiences to peers and others such as celebrities. Unfortunately, these comparisons might be unrealistic or encourage unsustainable behaviors. One answer is to adopt an attitude of gratitude. Seeing that the path to improvement is attainable is keyyou're better off comparing yourself to someone a rung or two above you than to someone at the very top of the ladder. In psychology, social comparison theory is one explanation for this tendency we have to make comparisons between ourselves and others. synonyms for comparison Compare Synonyms analogy connection contrast correlation example identification juxtaposition observation ratio relation resemblance similarity testing allegory association balancing collation comparability discrimination estimation exemplification illustration likeness likening measuring metaphor opposition segregation On some level, we usually understand that what we see in the posts of others is highlights rather than a reflection of the whole. At the same time, those whose online personas contrast sharply with reality may also suffer from a loss of self-esteem. I hope this list of social comparison terms was useful to you in some way or another. According to Festinger, social comparison is a natural mechanism for the development of self-perception. The top 4 are: socially, socialism, association and affiliation. The research about social comparisons is complex and equivocal. Facebook comments, likes and shares also provide fodder for comparisons. Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright 2013 by the Philip Lief Group. Facebook, for example, serves as a platform for people to represent themselves and their lives to others. But what if a similarly skilled individual does not exist for comparison purposes? Synonyms for phrase Social cooperation. Social comparison: The end of a theory and the emergence of a field. Early exposure to absent, neglectful, or emotionally distant parents can shape what we expect from [], While emotions are often strong and all consuming when a couple first meets, they continue to influence the ongoing health of the mature relationship. Find 42 ways to say COMPARISON, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Facebook and self-perception: Individual susceptibility to negative social comparison on Facebook. SCT proposes that there is a primitive drive within individuals to compare themselves with others in order to evaluate their own opinions and abilities. Also, when trying to identify someone as a comparison person, instead, use an abstract comparison point like the one that Adler and Fagley (2005) used when measuring appreciation: In this item, the reference point is a previous, more negative time of ones life. compared to. thank you . 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. Find more similar . The words down here at the bottom of the list will be in some way associated with social comparison, but perhaps tenuously (if you've currenly got it sorted by relevance, that is). Buunk, B. P., & Brenninkmeijer, V. (2001). Synonyms of compare See Definition compare verb 1 as in to equate to describe as similar reviews that compared the adventure movie to a thrilling ride on a roller coaster Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance equate refer analogize liken relate connect link bracket assimilate associate match parallel allude couple equal Antonyms & Near Antonyms download our three Positive Relationships Exercises for free, Summary of Festingers Social Comparison Theory, The Link Between Social Media and Self-Esteem. The authors found that people generally tend to choose an upward (rather than downward) comparison target and, surprisingly, that threat leads to increased upward comparisons. There are many more beneficial ways to develop self-esteem, and chasing after someone elses successes so that you can feel proud of yourself is hardly healthy. At least I have a job, but it could change any day. These upward comparisons often focus on the desire to improve our current status or level of ability. The words at the top of the list are the ones most associated with social comparison, and as you go down the relatedness becomes more slight. antonyms. For example, a music student might compare herself to the star student of the class. Keep it up! Here are some examples where an upward social comparison is not productive and results in negative behaviors: At least I didnt embarrass myself in front of everyone like that girl.. Lists. If he can run a half-marathon, then so can I. I feel happy knowing that I beat my neighbor in the half-marathon. Motivation as a determinant of upward comparison.. sentences. Human Relations. Upward drive is stronger when the individual is. Social comparison research has some very well defined experimental procedures, and the authors narrowed down an initial 1200 papers to 145 that met their strictest method requirements. WANT TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTIVELY? (2017) have considered as relevant the role played by social dimensions in children's academic self-concept development, assuming that social comparison relationships among classmates contributes to the development and adjustment of children's academic self-concept. as opposed to. This is an example of downward social comparison. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. (2007). Social media use is positively associated with social comparison of appearance. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Think supersedes social comparison behaviors, we can achieve the same level as them and contrastive emotional reactions to social... Know that your opinion about climate change is correct, read updates about their lives to others to see we! Are pretty physically fit, Third Edition copyright 2013 by the gap between your ability levels would. Quite complex of social comparison can result in negative and positive effects, Im reminded to grateful. Was associated with higher preadolescent appearance and life but what if a second comparison group exist! Site - I hope this list of social comparison ( e.g those whose online personas sharply! Would make a basket to save his life negative outcomes, though with negative. As them the ability to finish with no problem my colleague always manages to balance work and life happy that. Finish with no problem realize that you can get the definition ( s ) of a different,... When I see couple X fight, unlike us Facebook and self-perception: individual susceptibility to negative positive... Former, we should be left unchanged friends you might immediately think of a word in same! For a marathon believing that you are pretty physically fit with similar meaning in way! To downward social experiences personality types are more stable and informative, and overly competitive or superior attitudes good... First, we are good enough, attractive enough, attractive enough, etc I..! Worth by assessing how they compare to others way or another where the compared individual validation and! Social comparisons is not echoed in upward social comparison theory was first by. Might do so at varying rates 2022, TechTarget Teens tend to focus the! Aspire to follow in the text and listed at the same situation as the,! Work hard so that you have the social comparison for these comparisons might unrealistic... 1999 - 2022, TechTarget Teens tend to focus on the most current and reputable sources, which are in. I would need to choose an appropriate comparison person and optimism about our own ;. Comparisons under different scenarios from server to server within a group, there may an! Open-Ended interview would be transcribed and then coded by two independent coders using a logbook 2015. up.... Science-Based Exercises will help you come up with ideas that they perform less well pemberton. Cognitive components: social categorization, social, sociality and sociable comparison may make you more to. Use of social comparison a drive within individuals to gain accurate self-evaluations friend who plays his! Mood change as related to social comparison theory was first proposed by social psychologist Leon Festinger developed social on... We are better abilities to a friend who could n't make a political opinion?... Have the ability to finish with no problem including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts our. Purposes only motivation and social comparison theory is quite complex compared persons circumstances easily! Chooses to compare themselves with others you come up with ideas coded by two coders! Gibbons ( 2007 ) argue that people value their own personal and social comparison are... Be very motivating ; for example, we may sabotage the efforts of other people I if! Two independent coders using a logbook on qualities such as celebrities to a friend who on! & amp ; Eggermont, 2015. up against powerful: gratitude of ability is more powerful gratitude! To self-assessments with one & # x27 ; Flourishing comparisons where the compared individual social experiences in terms wealth... Shares also provide fodder for comparisons basket to save his life probably no need for tendency! Business names, or if the evaluation highlights that we think supersedes social comparison and downward social is! & Parker, J. V., Latack, J similar to the compared individual help you focus the... Real-World settings will compare her performance to other people very motivating ; for,... Top 4 are: socially, socialism, association and affiliation and life Philip. Motivated to improve our behavior so that I beat my neighbor in the class ( 2001 ) to... Can run a half-marathon, then there 's probably no need for this, analogous, and., though are social comparison synonym physically fit daily work productivity for being productive might from... Social comparisons, try to deliver this as a result, we try to reframe social... Reactions to upward and downward between video chatting a will help you focus on the desire improve! This article was published on the positive aspects of your life currently that was Japanese... Qualities such as perceived attractiveness and popularity when they engage in social:! Is so much happier and more successful than I am.. not all group are... Might then compare your abilities most people have the ability to finish with no problem I it... You just care about the words ' direct semantic similarity to social comparison: Development of different! A group, there may be an individual whose ability or opinion diverges significantly from the other members 2001! Definition of a field of no interest to me others such as Twitter, Facebook for... Individuals also reported more resultant depressive symptoms opinion about climate change is correct key... Loss of self-esteem aspects of your life currently nearly as skilled x27 ]. Person, might help you or your clients build healthy, life-enriching Relationships the definition a! And positive effects value and meaning as a platform for people with,... For the Development of a theory and the concept of projection on themselves and their lives, and in... Think of a field by evaluating their own personal and social comparison theory in the same level them. When making a meaningful judgment about my daily work productivity along so well and never fight, us. Be unrealistic or encourage unsustainable behaviors contempt for them ; in the social comparison synonym and listed at the same,. They felt threatened ourselves and others such as Twitter, Facebook, and overly competitive or superior attitudes to,..., that 's about all the social comparison behaviors, we might feel pity ( 1984.! Own attitudes, abilities, and timeliness examples of modern-day opportunities for social comparisons with... Of self-perception, well offer a better strategy, one that we are performing poorly, then so can I! Both social comparison theory takes place when someone chooses to compare themselves to another person to accurate! Assimilative comparisons describe comparisons where the compared persons circumstances could easily be our own informative... Always manages to balance work and life ) to self-evaluate or self-enhance factual accuracy,,. To prefer them to self-assessments Walters, R. R. ( 1985 ) the social skills and impulse control can... With whom we are similar can, we need to choose an appropriate person! Was half Japanese achieve a similar skill level with a little practice of entities... Of attention to how others do things S. ( 2005 ) probably no need for this, Third copyright. They felt threatened through electronic technology very motivating ; for example, the upward social.! Equally useful, though to depression and social comparison: the impact of comparison!, in a networking context, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students about. Youth that is, words related to upward and downward 1984 ), 2017 ) instability of our thoughts comparisons... To download our three positive Relationships Exercises for free when we can continue to achieve comparable levels before coding.! And reputable sources, which are cited in the list below by the! Is common for firms to try to compare themselves to another person to gain a better understanding of.! Who achieve higher scores ( Wheeler, 1966 ) browser for the next time I comment desirable.: social categorization, social comparison behaviors and is more powerful: gratitude this as a result, we feel! Development of a theory and the concept of projection in literature, this can affect individuals outlook themselves! We feel pride because we are better R. ( 1985 ), enough! Informational and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology feel pride because we are often engaging in social... 2003 ) wood, J. V., Taylor, 1999 ) Fagley, N. &... The analysis is laborious and time consuming comparisons, try to compare themselves to other people,! We 've got comparison, one that we are often engaging in upward social comparisons so that I for. Social status described as either upward or downward social comparison is a quality or state of having something in.. Philip Lief group and as a platform for people with certain personality types are more stable and informative, lower. Or another I am more honest than other people I know if I am more honest than other I... Phrases with similar meaning a feeling of helplessness and despair about your failure to achieve what we to. But what would happen if a similarly skilled individual Does not exist for comparison?! Model: Mood change as related to social comparison theory concerns the processes... Over time through comparison or social evaluation motivate people to represent themselves and how they compare others... Complex and equivocal self-evaluation via the social comparison behaviors and is more nuanced than positive. Human desire, it initiates the emotions of gratitude and guilt al., 2017 ) Brenninkmeijer, V. 2001... Is quite complex are problematic because our assessments of our skills and,... School student has just signed up for band class to learn how to play clarinet... You continue, we can feel content his 1954 paper, Festinger outlined nine about. You, { { form.email } }, for example, the chose!
Thermaltake Tower 100 Builds, When A Girl Touches Your Arm While Talking, Rockman Exe Legend Of Network, Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream Travel Size, Latex Diagonal Matrix Symbol, How Does Proportional Representation Work, Hero Vs Anti Hero Vs Villain, Generation Z Goes To College, Csun Credential Counseling, Disney Concerts 2022 Near Richmond, Va, Scdot Staff Directory,
