title: Feeling better about doing worse: social comparisons within romantic relationships.
abstract: The authors examined the role of closeness between self and partner in determining the impact of social comparisons within intimate relationships. To the extent that one's partner is a central aspect of one's identity, one may be able to restore one's positive self-regard following an upward comparison with the partner by turning to the relationship as a self-affirmational resource. Studies 1 and 2 examined reactions to imagined comparisons; Studies 3 and 4 examined reactions to actual comparison feedback. Across studies, closeness moderated the impact of upward comparisons with the partner; that is, higher closeness participants responded to a more successful partner by focusing on their relationship-related strengths. However, closeness did not moderate the impact of downward comparisons with the partner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. lockwood@psych.utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Penelope
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lockwood
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dolderman
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sadler
authors.forename: Elinora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gerchak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires