10 Questions
What does the theory of social comparison argue?
that, as humans, we are driven to evaluate ourselves by comparison to others
Wills (1981) proposed the theory of social comparison.
False
When we compare ourselves to others, what is considered an important requirement?
that they are roughly similar to us
Which of these statements is the most accurate?
We only tend to evaluate ourselves on dimensions that we value, as it is a motivated process.
Match the types of comparison to their definitions.
Upward Comparison = When we compare ourselves with people who we believe to be slightly better than ourselves on a particular dimension. Downward Comparison = When we compare ourselves with people who we believe to be slightly better than ourselves on a particular dimension. Temporal Comparison = When we compare our actual selves to our past selves. ? = ?
Wills (1981) argues that people may engage in downward comparison in order to increase their self-esteem.
True
... refers to when we choose to compare ourselves to those who are already worse off than us.
According to Taylor and Lobel (1989), why might people engage in upward comparison?
in order to gain practical information in how to improve their situation
People who are obese are more likely to look at skinny people for weight-loss tips.
False
Tina really values cooking. Harvey is not very good at cooking, so Tina is likely to engage in upward comparison with Harvey.
False
Test your knowledge on the theory of social comparison proposed by Wills in 1981. Explore the importance of comparing oneself to others and different types of comparisons according to the theory.
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