ADVERSE SOCIAL COMPARISON PROCESSES AND NEGATIVE SELF-FEELINGS: A TEST OF ALTERNATIVE MODELS

• Published in: Social behavior and personality Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 31 - 44
• Main Authors: Stiles, Beverly L., Kaplan, Howard B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: P.O.Box 1539, Palmerston North 4440, New Zealand Scientific Journal Publishers 01.01.2004; Scientific Journal Publishers Ltd
• Subjects: Adverse; Negative selfevaluation; Self Concept; Social Comparison
• ISSN: 0301-2212; 1179-6391
• DOI: 10.2224/sbp.2004.32.1.31

Theoretically informed models are estimated that specify the direction of the relationship between social comparisons and negative self-feelings. The data are from three waves of an ongoing longitudinal study of adaptations to stress. Subjects are individuals who were tested in their middle teens (T3), mid-twenties (Time 4) and in their mid-thirties (Time 5). The models were estimated using both logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression. In general, the results suggest that negative self-feelings are an antecedent of social comparison processes as negative self-feelings are significantly related to all five measures of social comparison. Findings suggest that negative self-feelings are sometimes a consequence of social comparison processes as negative self-feelings are significantly related to three of the five measures of social comparison.