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Social Comparison Theory
The central premise of social comparison theory is that people continually use information about other people’s opinions and abilities to assess their own opinions and abilities (Festinger, 1954). The theory assumes that people make social comparisons because they have a need to maintain stable and accurate appraisals of themselves compared to other people, and to maintain and protect their self-esteem and self-worth (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1993; Pyszczynski, Greenberg, & LaPrelle, 1985; Taylor & Lobel, 1989; Wood, 1989). The theory posits that people tend to prefer to evaluate themselves compared to objective information and standards. However, if that information is unavailable, vague, or ambiguous, then people also ...
