Social Comparison Theory: Self-Assessment and Self-Improvement

Introduction

This paper is written from the perspective of a twenty-nine-year-old female from Ghana in West Africa who moved to the United States fourteen years ago and is currently employed as a bookkeeper. The paper seeks to compare the author's life with that of another person, utilizing fundamental social comparison theories. The person chosen for comparison is the author's employer — a smart, kind, and diligent man who serves as both mentor and role model. The paper draws on several theories and considers what changes might be adopted as part of an ongoing effort at self-improvement. Different types of relationships are also discussed, including those related to attitude and belief systems, interpersonal relationships, gender issues, and social communication (Social Comparison Based on Attitude and Belief Systems, Interpersonal Relationships, Gender Issues, and Social Communication, 2012).

Social Comparison

Social comparison is the assessment of self against another, utilizing psychological principles that influence the behavior, experience, and judgment of individuals. As human beings, we are constantly comparing ourselves with others. For instance, whenever we hear news about other people — their failures or their achievements — we tend to compare those situations to our own.

In the same way, the author makes a consistent effort to stay informed about her employer's achievements and his way of life in general, so that she can assess whether she is moving in a similar direction. He serves as a standard for self-assessment; comparing her life to his helps reveal areas where she falls short, thereby motivating her to improve. Awareness of one's weaknesses and strengths can drive a person to compare their traits with those of others (Festinger, 1954).

For most individuals, social comparisons are guided by three questions: why we compare ourselves with others; with whom we compare ourselves; and how these comparisons affect us. Festinger's social comparison theory addresses most of these questions (Festinger, 1954).

The primary motivation behind the author's social comparisons is enthusiasm — a human drive to assess her own capabilities and beliefs. According to the theory of informal social communication, the capabilities of other individuals play a significant role in shaping our own beliefs (Festinger, 1950, 1954). The urge to compare oneself with others becomes stronger when, upon considering the theory's first through fourth hypotheses, one cannot find answers using references in the physical or tangible world.

This need is sustained by one's basic drive to develop and maintain an accurate self-concept, which often requires informative feedback from those we compare ourselves to. In this case, that feedback came from the characteristics of the author's employer, particularly since no objective standards were readily available against which to perform such evaluations (Festinger, 1954). Other studies have confirmed that individuals compare themselves with others even when objective standards are present (Social Comparison Based on Attitude and Belief Systems, Interpersonal Relationships, Gender Issues, and Social Communication, 2012).

The decision to choose her employer as the standard for comparison was deliberate. Choosing someone too different would have produced uncertain or confusing outcomes, whereas choosing someone in a similar situation — or at a higher level — within the workplace yields better self-assessments. Lateral social comparisons are important for self-assessment; however, self-improvement can only be achieved through vertical, or upward, comparisons (Taylor et al., 1996).

Attitude and Belief Systems

It is important to choose a comparison model carefully, given that there are often many candidates to consider but limited time available (Mussweiler & Ruter, 2003). Efficiency in the selection process was achieved by applying the concept of routine as a guiding tool. Among the individuals considered — both the employer and the author's mother — the employer best fit the selection criteria.

Social comparisons have wide-ranging effects on self-assessment, and they played a key role in shaping the author's self-concept before the formal comparison process began. By closely following the "self-construal" system, it became possible to see how individuals could view intelligence as something flexible rather than fixed. Ultimately, social comparisons influence behavior, motivation, and cognition, and are in turn shaped by those same factors (Social Comparison Based on Attitude and Belief Systems, Interpersonal Relationships, Gender Issues, and Social Communication, 2012).

According to William James, by changing one's attitude, one can change one's life. In seeking a kind of social well-being, the author was aware of the positive impact that constructive thinking could have. She recognized that replacing negative attitudes with positive ones could open up new opportunities. Where she once held negative attitudes toward others, replacing those attitudes with affection for herself and others — and forgiving past harm — allowed her to begin cultivating a more positive outlook.