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Cited by 698Social and Intergroup PsychologyEmotions and Moral BehaviorPsychometric Methodologies and Testing

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 91 of the 91 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

What is Social Comparison and How Should We Study it?

Wood, Joanne V.·1996·Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
DOI 10.1177/0146167296225009
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Abstract

Despite renewed vigor in the social comparison literature, little attention has been paid to methods of studying social comparison. This article examines frequently used measures and procedures in social comparison research. The question of whether a method truly captures social comparison requires a clear understanding of what social comparison is; hence a definition of social comparison is proposed, multiple ancillary processes in social comparison are identified, and definitional controversies are addressed. Then, methods are examined for how strongly they imply social comparison and for whether they capture social comparisons as they would occur naturally. It is argued that some methods may not truly capture social comparison, that some methods may be too vulnerable to alternative interpretations to be useful, and that some methods may paint an inaccurate picture of social comparison.

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Citations

Cites

Show all 87 references

Research works printed but not linked: 21

  1. Buunk, B. P., Health and coping: Perspectives firm social comparison theory
  2. Bylsma, W. H., 1990, Group differences in personal entitlement.- The impact of social comparisons and procedural fairness
  3. Cottrell, N. B., 1977, Social comparison processes: Theoretical and empirical perspectives
  4. Crosby, E., 1982, Relative deprivation and working women
  5. 10.1037/0033-2909.95.3.542 · DOI · Paper page
  6. Fiske, S. T., 1991, Social cognition
  7. Flett, G. L., 1982, Social comparison preferences: A self presentational analysis
  8. Giordano, C., Canadian Psychological Association Convention
  9. Goethals, G. R., Relative deprivation and social comparison: The Ontaio symposium, 135
  10. Goethals, G. R., 1977, Social comparison processes: Theoretical and empirical perspectives, 259
  11. Olson, J. M., Relative deprivation and social comparison: The Ontaio symposium
  12. Ross, M., Relative deprivation and social comparison: The Ontario symposium, 79
  13. Ruble, D. N., 1987, Social comparison, social justice, and relative deprivation: Theoretical, empirical, and policy perspectives, 81
  14. Sedikides, C., 1992, Emotion and social behavior: Review of personality and social psychology, 271
  15. Smith, W. P., 1987, Social comparison, social justice, and relative deprivation: Theoretical, empirical; and policy perspectives, 55
  16. Suls, J., 1991, Social comparison: Contemporary theory and research
  17. Tesser, A., 1986, Handbook of motivation and cognition: Foundations of social behavior, 435
  18. 10.1037/0022-3514.54.1.49 · DOI
  19. 10.1037/0278-6133.14.2.132 · DOI
  20. Wheeler, L., 1977, Social comparison processes: Theoretical and empirical perspectives, 335
  21. Zanna, M. P., 1987, Pathways to women's career development, 28

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Metadata

Authors
Wood, J. V.
Affiliations
University of Waterloo (CA)
Corresponding author
Wood, Joanne V.
ORCID
Wood, Joanne V.
Venue
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1996-05
Volume
22
Issue
5
Pages
520-537
ISSN
  • 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-7433
DOI
10.1177/0146167296225009
OpenAlex
W2108334011
Semantic Scholar
340057e64e6beda3379f9c5a28abd0032f2a83ca
Cited by
697
References
87
Citations by year
2026: 36 · 2025: 53 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 64 · 2022: 42 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 26
FWCI
30.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
Keywords
social comparison, social comparison theory, methodological validity

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