Gender Differences in Aversion to Social Comparison Feedback

Many organizations offer their members social comparison feedback, which informs them how they perform relative to others. Previous research has linked social comparison feedback to improved motivation and performance. We propose, however, that such feedback has psychological costs that disproportionately impact women. Across six pre-registered studies, we show that social comparison feedback is more aversive and anxiety-inducing for women than for men. This gender difference persists after accounting for performance expectations and actual performance. Two mechanisms underlie women's greater aversion to social comparison feedback: Compared to men, women are less competitive and more concerned that social comparisons will harm their relationships. Our findings extend social comparison research by distinguishing between self-initiated and externally imposed comparisons and documenting a novel gender difference. We discuss the hidden costs of a common feedback method and the need to consider gendered responses when designing feedback systems.