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Social Comparison Theory - Early Roots

Social Comparison Theory - Early Roots. Newcomb (1947) - Bennington study - Reference Groups - negative and positive Schachter (1950) - Deviants and Communication People communicate with deviants and bring them in line - this works best in uniform groups

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Social Comparison Theory - Early Roots

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  1. Social Comparison Theory - Early Roots • Newcomb (1947) - Bennington study - Reference Groups - negative and positive • Schachter (1950) - Deviants and Communication • People communicate with deviants and bring them in line - this works best in uniform groups • Festinger (1954) Social Comparison Theory • Attitudes - we seek comparison with similar others • Abilities - unidirectional push upwards

  2. Social Comparisons Upward & Downward • Brickman & Bulman (1977) - pleasure and pain of social comparison - the importance of the social context • Upward Comparisons are avoided because they can be threatening • Downward comparisons can be sought out because they can make one feel better--although sometimes they make one feel worse • Wood, Taylor, & Lichtman (1985) - Social comparisons in adjustment to breast cancer - Most women made some sort of downward comparison • Lockwood & Kunda (1997) - Inspiration and Social Comparison

  3. Lockwood & Kunda (1997)

  4. Relative Deprivation • Merton & Kitt (1950) - the importance of reference groups • Brickman, Coates, Janoff-Bulman • Whose Happy? • Lottery Winners • Paraplegics

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