Effects of interaction between social comparison and state goal orientation on task performance

Drawing on social comparison theory, we explored the effects of the interaction between state goal orientation and directional social comparison on individuals' task performance. In most goal achievement situations, individuals are likely to perform in a social context, which warrants investigation of how the interplay between goal characteristics and surrounding social stimuli influences their performance. We conducted a state-based experiment with 162 undergraduate students, utilizing a 3 (state goal orientation: learning, prove performance, avoid performance) × 2 (social comparison: upward and downward) between-subjects design. When the learning goal orientation or the prove performance goal orientation were manipulated, individuals who had a comparison target performed better than did those who worked by themselves on the given task. In particular, when individuals with a learning goal orientation or a prove performance goal orientation had a downward comparison target their performance improved, whereas those with an avoid performance goal orientation performed better when they had an upward comparison target. Overall the findings explicate the joint roles of state goal orientation and social comparison in influencing task performance.

Better Off and Far Away: Reactions to Others’ Outcomes Depends on Their Distance

Research shows that people’s satisfaction with outcomes they receive (e.g., a prize) is influenced by their standing relative to targets of comparison. Here we asked whether the similarity of the comparison target impacts which features of outcomes people pay attention to. This is particularly important in situations in which more than one outcome feature may drive people’s sense of relative deprivation. Drawing on Construal Level Theory, which contends that people use high level construals to transcend psychological distance, we show that comparing to more dissimilar targets increases the salience of high- versus low-level features of outcomes. Experiment 1 demonstrates that people seek out high-level information when they believe they are comparing to psychologically distant others. Experiments 2-4 show that high-level information, relative to low-level information, exerts greater weight on satisfaction when the comparison target is far versus near. Experiment 5 shows these effects can be explained by variations in construal level. Overall, this research highlights the importance of distant others in influencing people’s sense of relative deprivation.

“What’ve I done to deserve this?” The role of deservingness in reactions to being an upward comparison target

Outperforming others may be an ambivalent experience, simultaneously evoking pride and discomfort. Two experiments examined the role of deservingness in reactions to being an upward comparison target. Study 1 took place online and experimentally manipulated deservingness by modifying a self-report measure of Sensitivity about Being the Target of a Threatening Upward Comparison (STTUC). Participants predicted more distress and less positive affect under conditions of undeserved (vs. deserved) success; several individual difference variables moderated these effects. Study 2 systematically varied a confederate’s effort to manipulate the perceived deservingness of an outperformed person. Participants were especially likely to downplay their score in the presence of a confederate who appeared to work hard on a task but nevertheless performed poorly. Collectively, findings suggest that people respond most strongly to STTUC when a mismatch exists between deservingness and outcomes.

Emotional Responses to Social Comparisons in Reality Television Programming

In recent years, the viewing of reality television has become increasingly prevalent among television audiences. However, little is known about the psychological processes at work when viewing these programs. This study examined how social comparisons to cast members influenced emotional responses to reality television programming. Participants (N = 231) were cued with a specific comparison target group and placed in a situation of self-image enhancement or threat. Afterwards, participants watched a clip from a reality television program and then reported their emotional reactions to it. The manipulations of comparison target group and self-image affected both the direction of social comparisons made and their associated emotional responses. Participant gender also influenced social comparisons to the cast members and resulting emotional responses to the content. Although we were unable to compare the social comparison-related emotional responses to reality programs with those of scripted programs, the results of this study bring to bear the associations between specific emotional responses and the types of social comparisons that take place when watching reality television programming.