title: Motivated use of information about others: linking the 2 × 2 achievement goal model to social comparison propensities and processes.
abstract: The present research used correlational and experimental methods and two well-established social comparison paradigms to integrate and extend prior research from the achievement goal and social comparison literatures. In Study 1, a general disposition to engage in social comparison was positively correlated with each type of goal in the 2 × 2 model of achievement goals, suggesting that the desire to seek out social comparison information is not exclusive to a particular type of achievement goal pursuit. In Study 2, when evaluating the specific direction of social comparison (upward or downward), the pursuit of performance-approach, mastery-approach, and mastery-avoidance goals facilitated upward social comparison, and the pursuit of performance-avoidance goals prompted a shift away from upward comparison towards downward comparison. The present findings provide new insight to the emerging integration of achievement goals and social comparison.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Pôle 3C (Comportement, Cognition, Cerveau), UMR CNRS 6146, University of Provence, Marseille, France. lenda.bounoua@univ-provence.fr
authors.forename: Lënda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bounoua
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cury
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Regner
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huguet
authors.forename: Kenneth E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Elliot
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012933:Social Identification; D012945:Social Values