Social Comparison Theory

Social Comparison of Abilities and Opinions

Many social scientists had recognized aspects of these phenomena, but Leon Festinger was the first to systematize them in his 1954 theory of social comparison processes. Festinger initially cast the theory as a theory about how an individual could self-assess. In the first example above, what I'd learn about is my own abilities; in the second example, it is the validity of my opinions. And learning from the actions of others about one's abilities and opinions was the process that Festinger sought to analyze.

Festinger's theory assumed that the goal of individuals was to form accurate perceptions of their abilities, and that is certainly a reasonable goal to hold. Knowing my abilities will enable me to make sensible decisions about what I should attempt and not attempt. If I can jump about 12 feet, then I'd better not try to clear a 15-foot creek! If I am a really good mathematician, I have some ideas about careers at which I could succeed.

However, other motives are also involved when one compares one's ability to that of others. Having a high and having a low level of ability are equally informative about what we should attempt but are quite different in their impact on us. Having a high level of ability generally heightens one's self-esteem, while discovering one has a low level of ability is harmful to self-esteem. Abilities are qualities that it is good to be good at, and self-esteem is bolstered and enhanced by possessing those qualities. Similarly, doing poorly at something that matters is a blow to one's self-esteem.

Having accurate assessments of one's own abilities and having high self-esteem can be thought of as motives of the individual, the sorts of motives that Festinger suggested social comparison facilitated. However, more interpersonal motives are in play in social comparison situations as well. How well I perform when I am performing in public influences people's perceptions and opinions about me. Because I am often surrounded by groups whose opinions matter to me, I am often concerned with managing the impressions that people form of me. The impression management problem arises most acutely when I give a poor performance that is, a performance that normally would be interpreted as signaling a low ability. Social comparison [Page 763]therefore is as much about dynamics within and between groups as it is about motives within an individual.

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