The affective consequences of social comparison: either direction has its ups and downs

Research on social comparison processes has assumed that a comparison in a given direction (upward or downward) will lead to a particular affective reaction. In contrast, the present two studies proposed and found that a comparison can produce either positive or negative feelings about oneself, independent of its direction. Several factors moderated the tendency to derive positive or negative affect from upward and downward comparisons. In Study 1, cancer patients low in self-esteem and with low perceived control over their symptoms and illness were more likely to see downward comparisons as having negative implications for themselves. Those low in self-esteem were also more likely to perceive upward comparisons as negative. In Study 2, individuals with high marital dissatisfaction and those who felt uncertain about their marital relationship were more likely to experience negative affect from upward and downward comparisons. The implications of these findings for social comparison theory and for the coping and adaptation literature are discussed.     

Reactions of would-be helpers whose offer of help is spurned

An experiment was conducted to test the proposition that rejection of help by a needy recipient constitutes a negative expectancy violation for the would-be helper. The helper will react to this self-threat by expressing negative affect, unfavorable evaluations of the recipient, low attraction to the recipient, and causal attributions for the rejection that cast the recipient in an unflattering light. To test these hypotheses, college freshmen were prompted to offer rules for word construction to a same-sex recipient (a confederate) who was described as needing remediation on vocabulary and who "failed" a practice task. After rejecting/accepting the help, the recipient failed or succeeded on a comparable task. The results were consistent with these predictions. Dispositionally high expectations of interpersonal success served to amplify helpers' reactions to rejection/acceptance.     

Pitch of infant crying and caregiver responses in a natural setting

The naturally occurring cries of 13 infants in a day-care center were tape-recorded and spectrum-analyzed for the peak fundamental frequency. Caregivers' responses to higher-pitched cries were rated by observers as more urgent, and they more frequently included additional attempts to soothe the infant. These results provide some of the first ecologically valid evidence that the pitch of infant crying is related to the urgency and nature of caregivers' responses.     

A nonobtrusive heart rate telemetry system for rats

A harness for recording heart rate (HR) from unrestrained rats and an inexpensive FM transmitter for broadcasting high-resolution EKGs are described. The harness, which employs surface electrodes rather than skin pins or implanted electrodes, is especially valuable for recording HR over extended periods of time. Because it is comparatively free of noise generated by the animal’s activity, the system is applicable to a wide range of experimental conditions. Sample HRs obtained from three strains of rats while engaging in different behavioral categories are presented.