The effect of direction, self-relevance, and focus of social comparisons on self-evaluation: interpretation via assimilation and contrast effects.
This study investigated the effect of direction, self-relevance, and focus of social comparisons on self-evaluation. 160 participants (76 men, 84 women; 19-27 years old) were enrolled from a marketing class. Using self as the focus of comparison will cause a contrast effect, while using others as the focus of comparison will have an assimilation effect. When the comparison dimension is highly self-relevant, a contrast effect will be observed on self-evaluation, while an assimilation effect will be observed when the comparison dimension is low on self-relevance. Also, when self is the focus of comparison, a highly self-relevant comparison dimension will make the contrast effect stronger, while a dimension with low self-relevance will make the contrast effect weaker. Conversely, when others are the focus of comparison, a comparison dimension that has low self-relevance will make the assimilation effect stronger, while a highly self-relevant one will weaken it. Primary results in this study were an interaction of comparison direction by focus of comparison and an interaction of comparison direction by self-relevance on self-evaluation.
Department of Business Administration, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, 123 University Road, Section 3, Douliou, Yunlin 64002, Taiwan. tsaichch@yuntech.edu.tw
Chia-Ching
CC
Tsai
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004522:Educational Status; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012919:Social Behavior; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult