Cited by 1,166Emotions and Moral BehaviorPersonality Traits and PsychologySocial and Intergroup Psychology

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For better or worse: The impact of upward social comparison on self-evaluations

Collins, Rebecca L.·1996·Psychological Bulletin

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Abstract

Upward social comparison is generally regarded as ego deflating, yet people often compare themselves with those whose abilities and attributes are better than their own. Upward comparison provides useful information, which may partially account for this behavior. Furthermore, it is proposed that upw

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“…tended to compare themselves with those who were better than them with the desire to improve current status or level of ability, while others would prefer comparing to those who were worse off, in an effort to make themselves feel better about their abilities or traits (Collins, 1996; Wills, 1981).”
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“Individuals frequently appraise their abilities and performance by comparing themselves to others (Collins, 1996); therefore, when observing colleagues ’ extra effort, employees may unconsciously compare themselves to these colleagues (Sun, 2022).”
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“Collins (1996) upward assimilation theory argues that an increase in expected similarity between the comparer and comparison target facilitates positive self-evaluation.”
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“Drawing on insights from the empirical literature (e.g., Wadsley et al., 2022; Van Tran et al., 2023; Zafar et al., 2021) and support from the SCT (Collins, 1996; Festinger, 1954), this study posits that individuals engaging in hedonic browsing on s-commerce platforms encounter attractive…”
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Authors: Collins, R. L.
Affiliations: RAND Corporation (US)
Corresponding author: Collins, Rebecca L.
ORCID: Collins, Rebecca L.
Venue: Psychological Bulletin
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1996-01
Volume: 119
Issue: 1
Pages: 51-69
ISSN: 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
1939-1455
DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.119.1.51
OpenAlex: W2165368401
Cited by: 1,166
References: 93
Citations by year: 2026: 53 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 95 · 2022: 74 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 68 · 2019: 51 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 46 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 28
FWCI: 20.20
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Keywords: upward social comparison, self-assessment, self-concept, social comparison theory

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For better or worse: The impact of upward social comparison on self-evaluations

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