Communion in social comparison – Back to the roots

In 1954, Leon Festinger published “A Theory of Social Comparison Processes,” the first formal treatment of the psychology underlying individuals’ tendencies to compare with one another. This ambitious work (which contained no less than nine hypotheses, eight corollaries, and eight derivations thereof) initiated a highly productive and influential line of conceptual development and psychological research. In his seminal paper, Festinger described social comparison as a key tool that enables individuals to evaluate the accuracy of their opinions and the extent of their abilities. Since then researchers have tested, expanded upon, and supplemented these insights with hundreds of empirical studies, new theoretical proposals, and, from time to time, important alternatives to Festinger’s original views. The depth, breadth, and import of research on social comparison for social psychology are evident in the consistent stream of edited volumes dedicated exclusively to this topic. Notable among these are the first volume on social comparison edited by Suls and Miller in 1977 and the handbook of social comparison theory and research by Suls and Wheeler published in 2000. Several other volumes provide timely or topical analyses of social comparisons and its relevance for other psychological phenomena and related subdisciplines (e.g., Buunk & Gibbons, 1991; Guimond, 2005; Smith, 2008; Suls & Wills, 1991). These discoveries have positioned social comparison as a key psychological process in self-evaluation and the regulation of social behavior. Individuals look to similar others to evaluate their abilities and opinions (e.g., Goethals & Darley, 1977; Martin, 2000), look to those better than them for inspiration and guidance (e.g., Collins, 1996; Lockwood & Kunda, 1997), and evaluate others depending on their similarities and distinctions with the self (e.g., Dunning, 2000; Fiske, 2011). In addition, they evaluate their own position in life with