Social comparison in adjustment to breast cancer.

Abstract

We investigated four theoretical perspectives concerning the role of social comparison (Festinger, 1954) in coping with a threatening event in a sample of breast cancer patients. According to the supercoper perspective, personal contact with comparison others is often unavailable to patients, and contact with media "supercopers"--fellow victims presented as adjusting very smoothly--may make patients feel inadequate by comparison. According to the similarity perspective, patients select comparison targets who are similar to themselves because those comparisons should be the most informative. The upward comparison perspective is predictive of comparisons to relatively advantaged or superior individuals. The downward comparison perspective leads to the prediction that under conditions of threat, individuals make comparisons to people who are inferior or less fortunate in order to enhance their self-esteem. We interviewed 78 breast cancer patients, and results of both closed-ended questions and spontaneously offered comparisons yielded a preponderance of downward comparisons. The results point to the value of using naturalistic methods for studying comparisons, and suggest a more active and cognitive role for social comparison than is usually portrayed.

Patients’ experiences of living with peripheral arterial disease awaiting intervention: a qualitative study

“…This process has previously been described in a study of adjustment to breast cancer (Wood et al, 1985). Downward comparisons seemed to be most important early in the adjustment process, intended to prevent the victim from being overwhelmed by the frightening new circumstances (Wood et al, 1985). Another study of older people with cancer showed that downward comparisons were made mostly with persons in a worse state with regard to the effects and the old age itself, as a way to endure the cancer (Thomé et al, 2003).…”

“…This form of emotion-focused coping could be explained by "downward comparison", which is a cognitive process used to enhance subjective well-being by comparison with others whose condition is worse (Wills, 1981). This process has previously been described in a study of adjustment to breast cancer (Wood et al, 1985). Downward comparisons seemed to be most important early in the adjustment process, intended to prevent the victim from being overwhelmed by the frightening new circumstances (Wood et al, 1985).…”

Theory and research concerning social comparisons of personal attributes.

“…Individuals who had experienced job disruption (Pearlin, Lieberman, Menaghan, & Mullan, 1981), marital conflict (Menaghan, 1982), spinal cord injuries (Schulz & Decker, 1985), and general stressors (Pearlin & Schooler, 1978) rated their circumstances as more favorable than those of others. In an interview study, the vast majority of breast cancer patients spontaneously compared themselves with others who were less fortunate than they (Wood, Taylor, & Lichtman, 1985). For example, one woman said I had just a comparatively small amount of surgery on the breast, and I was so.miserable, because it was so painful.…”

“…Goethals (1986a) pointed out, individuals fabricate and ignore social reality in ways that support a particular view oftbemselves. Thus, social comparison often may be a process of construction; it may not always involve comparisons with other people in any usual sense (Wood et al, 1985).…”

So pretty! The neural correlates of self-other vs familiar-other attractiveness comparisons

“…Moreover, people often engage in downward comparisons to feel better about themselves, especially when they feel threatened in their self-esteem (Wills, 1981). Failures and negative events appear under a more positive light when put in contrast to others who are worse off (Wood, Taylor, & Lichtman, 1985). In general, people engage in social comparison as a method of self-evaluation (Festinger, 1954;Kahneman & Miller, 1986;Mussweiler, 2003).…”