The collective and compassionate consequences of downward social comparisons.

Social and Temporal Comparisons as Moderators of Psychological Resources Associations With Wellbeing

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000193 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 96-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hasida Ben-Zur

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Subjective Wellbeing ◽

Social Comparisons ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Psychological Resources ◽

Low Levels ◽

Age Range ◽

General Wellbeing

Abstract. The current study investigated the associations of psychological resources, social comparisons, and temporal comparisons with general wellbeing. The sample included 142 community participants (47.9% men; age range 23–83 years), who compared themselves with others, and with their younger selves, on eight dimensions (e.g., physical health, resilience). They also completed questionnaires assessing psychological resources of mastery and self-esteem, and three components of subjective wellbeing: life satisfaction and negative and positive affect. The main results showed that high levels of psychological resources contributed to wellbeing, with self-enhancing social and temporal comparisons moderating the effects of resources on certain wellbeing components. Specifically, under low levels of mastery or self-esteem self-enhancing social or temporal comparisons were related to either higher life satisfaction or positive affect. The results highlight the role of resources and comparisons in promoting people’s wellbeing, and suggest that self-enhancing comparisons function as cognitive coping mechanisms when psychological resources are low.

Download Full-text

Passive Facebook Use and Depression

Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications ◽

10.1027/1864-1105/a000269 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 165-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Leman Pınar Tosun ◽

Ezgi Kaşdarma

Keyword(s):

Social Comparisons ◽

Path Model ◽

The Other ◽

Facebook Use ◽

Psychological Mechanism ◽

Model Fits

Abstract. In the current study we examined a psychological mechanism linking Facebook use to depression. A survey was conducted with 319 undergraduates about their passive Facebook use, their frequency of making upward social comparisons on Facebook, the emotions evoked through these comparisons, and their levels of depression. Half of the participants were given questions about the Facebook comparisons they made with their close friends, while the other half were given questions about the Facebook comparisons they made with acquaintances. Analysis of the whole sample revealed that upward Facebook comparison elicited assimilative emotions (inspiration, optimism, and admiration) more than contrastive emotions did (envy and resentment). A path model was developed in which passive use of Facebook predicted the frequency of making upward social comparisons, and, in turn, the frequency of making upward Facebook comparisons predicted depression through two routes: one through contrastive emotions and other through assimilative emotions. The results suggested that the model fits the data. As expected, the frequency of upward Facebook comparisons was associated with the increases in frequency of both contrastive and assimilative emotions, and the associations of these two types of emotions with depression were in opposite directions: Depression increased as the frequency of contrastive emotions increased, and it decreased as the frequency of assimilative emotions increased. The strength of the latter aforementioned association was stronger when the comparison targets were acquaintances rather than close friends.

Download Full-text