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Social Comparisons and Well-Being

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The Happy Mind: Cognitive Contributions to Well-Being

Abstract

Social comparison processes may have vital consequences for perceptions of well-being among both healthy individuals as well those struggling with medical or psychological problems. According to the identification-contrast model, when individuals are confronted with a stressful event, they will try to re-establish or maintain well-being and self-esteem by identifying themselves with others doing better (upward identification) and contrast themselves with others worse-off (downward contrast). The present chapter describes both correlational and experimental research in different settings, such as education, health care, personal relationships and organizations, that shows when and how individuals rely on upward identification and downward contrasts, what consequences these comparisons have on affect, mood, well-being and self-esteem, and how these comparisons interact with contextual and individual difference variables. Finally, several practical implications of social comparison research are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Abraham P. Buunk

  2. University of Curaҫao, Willemstad, Curaҫao, The Netherlands

    Abraham P. Buunk

  3. Private Practice for Social Psychology, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Pieternel Dijkstra

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  1. Abraham P. Buunk
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  2. Pieternel Dijkstra
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Correspondence to Abraham P. Buunk .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology, NDSU Department 2765, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA

    Michael D. Robinson

  2. Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Michael Eid

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Buunk, A.P., Dijkstra, P. (2017). Social Comparisons and Well-Being. In: Robinson, M., Eid, M. (eds) The Happy Mind: Cognitive Contributions to Well-Being. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58763-9_17

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