Boundaries of self-positivity: the effect of comparison focus in self-friend comparisons

The way in which a comparison is worded has systematic effects on its outcome. In self-other comparisons, the instruction "compare yourself with your peers" triggers greater self-positivity than does the reverse instruction, "compare your peers with yourself" (focus effect). But is the focus effect due to the inclusion of a generalized target? The authors extended the focus effect from comparisons with the average peer to comparisons with specific individuals (close friend or acquaintance). Participants displayed self-positivity when they compared themselves with a close friend but not when they compared a close friend with themselves. The present research is the first to demonstrate the focus effect in comparisons of self and specific individuals.