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Different selves have different effects: self-activation and defensive social comparison
Saskia A Schwinghammer1, Diederik A Stapel, Hart Blanton
1University of Groningen.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|December 1, 2005
Summary
Activating different self-views influences how people process social comparison information. Depending on the self-view activated, individuals may defend their self-esteem or process comparisons non-defensively.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Self-Perception Research
Background:
- Self-esteem maintenance is crucial for psychological well-being.
- Social comparison theory posits individuals evaluate themselves by comparing to others.
- The impact of self-activation on social comparison processing remains an area for exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how activating different self-conceptions influences the processing of social comparison information.
- To examine the differential effects of neutral, positive, and negative self-activation on self-esteem maintenance strategies.
Main Methods:
- Three experimental studies were conducted.
- Participants' self-conceptions were activated (neutral, positive, or negative).
- Participants processed threatening social comparison information (upward and downward comparisons).
Main Results:
- Activating neutral self-conceptions led to defensive processing and negative ratings of upward targets.
- Activating positive self-conceptions resulted in non-defensive processing and positive ratings of upward targets.
- Activating negative self-conceptions maximized defensive processing and negative ratings of both upward and downward targets.
Conclusions:
- The form of self-activation significantly modulates responses to social comparison.
- Findings offer insights into psychological strategies for self-esteem regulation.
- Understanding these mechanisms can inform interventions aimed at managing social comparison effects.