Self-Regulatory Mechanisms Governing the Impact of Social Comparison on Complex Decision Making

This study tested the hypothesis that different patterns of social comparison would affect performance attainments in a simulated organization through their impact on mediating self-regulatory mechanisms. Ss served as organizational decision makers under prearranged comparative feedback that they performed as well as their comparators, consistently surpassed them, achieved growing mastery, or experienced progressive decline. Progressive mastery enhanced perceived self-efficacy, efficient analytic thinking, challenging goal setting, aidful affective self-reaction, and organizational performance. Relative decline undermined these self-regulatory factors and produced a growing deterioration of organizational performance. The similar and superior socialcomparative patterns of influence had a supportive self-regulative and performance effect. Path analyses revealed that perceived self-eificacy, quality of analytic thinking, personal goal setting, and affective self-reactions operated as significant determinants of performance attainments.