Experiences of upward social comparison in entertainment contexts: Emotions, state self-esteem, and enjoyment

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicky Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Social Comparison ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Upward Social Comparison

scholarly journals Look Up, Look Down: Articulating Inputs and Outputs of Social Media Social Comparison

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Comparison ◽  
Social Comparisons ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Pluralistic Ignorance ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mood Management ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Upward Social Comparison

Computer-mediated social comparisons have been identified as a threat to psychological well-being. Because online friends selectively self-present, social comparisons may be biased upward, producing feelings of inadequacy. However, earlier evidence consistently confounded social comparative thoughts with causes or outcomes. A cross-sectional survey (N = 163) tested how traits, motivations, selectivity, and mood management influence computer-mediated downward and upward social comparison, and how comparison influences affect, self-esteem, and peer misperceptions. Results indicated age, social comparison orientation, mood modification, selectivity, and Facebook intensity produced social comparisons. Younger, frequent users made more upward comparisons, while mood modifiers made more downward comparisons. Comparing upward boosted negative affect, harmed self-esteem, and produced pluralistic ignorance. Downward comparisons enhanced self-esteem and reduced pluralistic ignorance about offline friends.

scholarly journals The contributions of social comparison to social network site addiction

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0257795
Author(s):  
Hyunji Kim ◽  
Richard Schlicht ◽  
Marlit Schardt ◽  
Arnd Florack
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Relative Deprivation ◽  
Social Comparisons ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Network Platform ◽  
Upward Social Comparison

Excessive use of social network sites (SNSs) can often lead to negative consequences of frequent upward social comparisons despite having the social network platform to present users in a favorable light. However, the existing literature gives little evidence to social comparison related antecedents and consequents of uncontrollable use of SNSs. The present study aimed to investigate the contributions of social comparison to SNS addiction. In Study 1, using a convenient sample in Austria (n = 103), we showed that the tendency to engage in social comparisons of ability (but not of opinion) predicted self-reported SNS addiction over and above the feelings of relative deprivation on social support and status. SNS addiction mediated the relations between social comparison of ability and stress, but not self-esteem. In Study 2, using a broad sample of participants in Austria (n = 500), we replicated the findings observed in Study 1 and showed that contrastive upward social comparison emotions (i.e., envy, depression) mediated the relation between SNS addiction and lower self-esteem whereas the contrastive downward social comparison emotion (i.e., contentment) mediated the relation between SNS addiction and higher self-esteem. Our findings suggest that SNS addiction closely relates to psychological constructs relevant to social comparison, mediates the link between social comparison of ability and detrimental consequences (i.e., stress, well-being) and demonstrate how social comparison emotions relate to both positive and negative associations between SNS addiction and self-esteem.

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