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The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
Behavioural effects of automatic interpersonal versus intergroup social comparison.
Ernestine H Gordijn1, Diederik A Stapel
1Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. e.gordijn@rug.nl
The British Journal of Social Psychology
|March 31, 2007
Summary
Social comparison effects depend on context. Interpersonal contexts trigger contrast effects, while intergroup contexts lead to assimilation, influencing individual behavior based on social cues.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Social comparison theory posits that individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparing themselves to others.
- The context of comparison (interpersonal vs. intergroup) and the nature of the comparison target (intelligent vs. unintelligent) can significantly moderate these effects.
- Understanding these moderators is crucial for predicting behavioral outcomes in social settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the salience of interpersonal and intergroup contexts influences social comparison processes.
- To examine the differential effects of intelligent versus unintelligent comparison targets on individual performance.
- To determine whether assimilation or contrast effects dominate under varying social contextual conditions.
Main Methods:
- Three studies were conducted manipulating the context (interpersonal, intergroup, none) and the characteristics of comparison targets (intelligent/unintelligent, in-group/out-group).
- Participants' performance on specific tasks was measured as a function of these manipulations.
- Statistical analyses were employed to identify significant differences in performance based on contextual and target variables.
Main Results:
- Study 1 demonstrated contrast effects in interpersonal contexts and assimilation effects in intergroup contexts when comparing with an intelligent target.
- Study 2 revealed assimilation effects with in-group targets and contrast effects with out-group targets, contingent on target intelligence.
- Study 3 confirmed assimilation effects when comparing with intelligent groups and contrast effects with unintelligent groups, particularly with out-group targets.
Conclusions:
- Social comparison effects are highly context-dependent, with interpersonal and intergroup situations eliciting distinct psychological processes.
- The perceived intelligence and group membership of comparison targets interact with contextual salience to shape behavioral responses.
- These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of social influence and self-evaluation in diverse social environments.
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