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Social Comparison Theory

Social comparison theory, proposed by Leon Festinger in 1954, posits that individuals evaluate themselves by comparing their abilities and skills to others. This process includes upward comparisons, where one seeks to improve by measuring against those perceived as better, and downward comparisons, which can enhance self-esteem by comparing to those worse off. The theory highlights the importance of these comparisons in self-assessment and motivation for personal growth.

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Joseph Sagayap
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137 views6 pages

Social Comparison Theory

Social comparison theory, proposed by Leon Festinger in 1954, posits that individuals evaluate themselves by comparing their abilities and skills to others. This process includes upward comparisons, where one seeks to improve by measuring against those perceived as better, and downward comparisons, which can enhance self-esteem by comparing to those worse off. The theory highlights the importance of these comparisons in self-assessment and motivation for personal growth.

Uploaded by

Joseph Sagayap
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Social Comparison

(Social Psychology-17)
by
Col Mukteshwar Prasad(Retd),
Mtech(IIT Delhi),CE(I),FIE(I),FIETE,FISLE,FInstOD,AMCSI
Contact -9007224278,
e-mail [email protected]
for book ”Decoding Services Selection Board” and
SSB guidance and training at Shivnandani Edu and
Defence Academy,Kolkata,India
Social Comparison
 Social comparison theory was first proposed in 1954 by psychologist Leon
Festinger and suggested that people have an innate drive to evaluate
themselves, often in comparison to others.
 One of the key ways in which People make judgments about
themselves, is through social comparison, or analyzing the self in
relation to others.
 For example,
 imagine that a high school student has just signed up for band class to
learn how to play the clarinet.
 As she evaluates her skills and progress, she will compare her
performance to other students in the class.
 She might initially compare her abilities to the other members of the
clarinet section, particularly noting those who are better than her as well as
those who are worse.
 She may also compare her abilities to those of students who play other
instruments as well.
Social Comparison Theory: A
Background
 .Festinger believed that we engage in this
comparison process as a way of establishing a
benchmark by which we can make accurate
evaluations of ourselves.
 For example,
 a music student might compare herself to the star
student of the class.
 If she finds that her abilities do not measure up to
her peer's talents, she might be driven to achieve
more and improve her abilities.
How Does the Social Comparison Process
Work?
 The social comparison process involves people coming to know
themselves by evaluating their own attitudes, abilities, and beliefs in
comparison with others.
 In most cases, we try to compare ourselves to those in our peer group or with
whom we are similar.
 There are two kinds of social comparison:
 Upward social comparison is when we compare ourselves with those who
we believe are better than us.
 These upward comparisons often focus on the desire to improve our
current level of ability.
 We might compare ourselves to someone better off and look for ways that
we can also achieve similar results.
 Downward social comparison is when we compare themselves to others
who are worse off than ourselves.
 Such downward comparisons are often centered on making ourselves feel
better about our abilities.
 We might not be great at something, but at least we are better off than
How Does the Social Comparison Process
Work?
 Examples of Social Comparison Theory in Action
 According to Festinger, people rely on these comparisons with other people
to accurately assess their own
 skills,
 abilities,
 beliefs and
 attitudes.
 In cases where your comparisons are not effective, you might find
yourself getting into situations that are too difficult or complex for your
current skill levels.
 For example,
 if you compare yourself to your friends and feel that you are pretty
physically fit, you might sign up for a marathon believing that you have
the ability to finish with no problem.
 When race day arrives, you might find yourself surrounded by people
who are much more athletic than you and realize that your initial
assessment of your abilities was overly optimistic.
How Does the Social Comparison Process
Work?
 When we can, we may put these comparisons to the test in real-world
settings.
 For example, if you want to assess your skill as a basketball player, you
might start by playing a game with your friends or practice shooting free
throws.
 Once you have a good understanding of what you are capable of, you
might then begin comparing your performance to other people that you
know.
 You might immediately think of a friend who plays on his school's
basketball team.
 This is an example of upward social comparison.
 In comparison to him, your performance is not nearly as skilled, but you
might feel that you can eventually achieve similar skill with a little practice.
 In this case, upward social comparison may make you feel better about
your skill and more motivated to improve upon it.
 You might then compare your abilities to a friend who couldn't make a
basket to save his life.

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