Social Comparison Processes in Autobiographies of Adult Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Cancer survivors often compare their situations to other survivors' situations. However, types of social comparison processes used and resulting outcomes are not clearly delineated. This study explores usage and consequences of three social comparison styles (downward, upward and parallel) of adult cancer survivors in free narratives, using content analysis of 30 autobiographical books by survivors ranging in age from 30-70 (M = 54, SD = 10.04); 43 percent prostate cancer, 17 percent breast cancer and 40 percent other cancers. Overall, cancer survivors used more parallel comparisons than directional comparisons, followed by upward comparisons. Each type of comparison was associated with different kinds of positive and negative consequences.

An Exploration of Quality of Life and the Experience of Living With Home Parenteral Nutrition

“…Conversely, Chambers et al, 64 using the SF‐36, demonstrated an increase in QOL scores (domains of physical function, vitality, social function, emotional role, and mental health) for 30 individuals with short bowel syndrome after 6 months of home PN but no change in scores for the domains of bodily pain, general health, or physical component summary. Regardless of length of home PN dependency in the present study, participants perceived that life “could be a heck of a lot worse.” In addition, using downward social comparison (the process of comparing oneself to someone worse off), 65 , 66 participants saw their own situation as better than others who had a physical disability or cancer. These findings are comparable to home enteral nutrition consumers who also noted that home tube feeding was a small challenge when compared to other people's problems 67 …”

The Roles of Support Seeking and Race/Ethnicity in Posttraumatic Growth Among Breast Cancer Survivors

“…Support programs can provide a place for social comparison, either upward (identifying with survivors who are doing well), downward (contrasting to other survivors who are doing worse), or parallel (Bellizzi, Blank, & Oakes, 2006). Upward social comparison has been linked to increased posttraumatic growth (Morris, Chambers, Campbell, Dwyer, & Dunn, 2011), indicating a mechanism by which peer-support may be linked to more positive assessment of cancer.…”

Use of Social Comparisons in Interviews About Young Adults’ Experiences of Chronic Illness

“…According to Goethals (1986), this type of comparison is more likely to be made by people who feel threatened, or who have low self-esteem, to enhance their personal sense of well-being. Wills (1981) proposed that the same affect was achieved by making lateral comparisons to others seen to be at a similar level in coping with problems; this has also been referred to as parallel comparisons (Bellizzi, Blank, & Oakes, 2006). …”