Frequent Social Comparisons and Destructive Emotions and Behaviors: The Dark Side of Social Comparisons

Social comparisons may seem to serve several positive functions, including self-enhancement. Frequent social comparisons, however, have a dark side. Two studies examined the relationship between frequent social comparisons and destructive emotions and behaviors. In Study 1, people who said they made frequent social comparisons were more likely to experience envy, guilt, regret, and defensiveness, and to lie, blame others, and to have unmet cravings. In Study 2, police officers who said they made frequent social comparisons were more likely to show ingroup bias and to be less satisfied with their jobs. The dark side of frequent social comparisons was not associated with self-esteem. Results are discussed in terms of the role of individual differences in social comparison processes.     

“You're a Whole Lot of Person”—Understanding the Journey Through Anorexia to Recovery: A Qualitative Study

Using the grounded theory method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967 Glaser, B. and Strauss, A. L. 1967. The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research., Chicago: Aldine.  [Google Scholar]), this study examined the subjective experience of anorexia nervosa in interviews with 5 women who have experienced symptoms of the disorder. Under the category Relational Anorexia, 2 themes emerged. The first involved the pervasiveness of anorexia among peer groups, and the second involved the continuum along which anorexia exists. The second category, Self Worth, had 3 themes. The first involved thinness as achievement and a means of establishing self worth. The second dealt with both positive and negative male influences in the development and healing of anorexia. The third is related to recovery. Taken together, these responses reveal that anorexia may be largely a relational process that involves a maladaptive desire for self-worth mediated through control of eating and weight, and that the role of the media in promoting an ideal of thinness for women may be only a background factor in the disorder.