Individual differences in social comparison: development of a scale of social comparison orientation.
Development and validation of a measure of individual differences in social comparison orientation (the Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure [INCOM]) are described. Assuming that the tendency toward social comparison is universal, the scale was constructed so as to be appropriate to and comparable in 2 cultures: American and Dutch. It was then administered to several thousand people in each country. Analyses of these data are presented indicating that the scale has good psychometric properties. In addition, a laboratory study and several field studies are described that demonstrated the INCOM's ability to predict comparison behavior effectively. Possible uses of the scale in basic and applied settings are discussed.
Gibbons
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Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011-3180, USA. fgibbons@iastate.edu
Buunk
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D012928:Social Desirability; D012938:Social Perception; D014481:United States