Access to society journal content varies across our titles. From this grant, he was able to write his first document on the social comparison theory and published it in the journal of human relations in 1954. People make all kinds of judgments about themselves, and one of the key ways that we do this is through social comparison, or analyzing the self in relation to. People sometimes compare themselves to others as a way of. Theory and research concerning social comparisons of. Kurt lewin, the refugee who founded social psychology. Social comparison theory an overview sciencedirect topics. If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. A theory of social comparison processes leon festinger, 1954. Social comparison theory states that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others. A theory of social comparison processes show all authors. Theory and research concerning social comparisons of personal attributes joanne v. In the early 1950s, the behavioral sciences division of the ford foundation gave leon festinger a grant, which was part of the program of the laboratory for research in social relations.
Murphy and newcomb, experimental social psychology new york and london. In cases where the criterion is unambiguous and can be clearly ordered, this furnishes an objective reality for the evaluation of ones ability so that it depends less on the opinions of other persons and depends more on actual comparison of ones performance with the performance of others. Social comparison theory was first proposed in 1954 by psychologist leon festinger and suggested that people have an innate drive to evaluate themselves, often in comparison to others. Festinger developed social comparison theory in the heyday of group dyna mics, long before the. A theory of social comparison processes, retrieved september 12, 2007, from hum. Kurt lewin was the doctoral advisor to leon festinger, who gave the world social comparison theory festinger, 1954 and cognitive dissonance theory festinger, 1957. Pdf a theory of social comparison processes semantic. Wood state university of new york at stony brook social comparison theory has evolved considerably since festinger 1954 originally proposed it. In this paper we shall present a further development of a previously published theory concerning. Leon festingers social comparison theory the psychology.
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