ABSTRACT
From the straightforward premise that evaluation of the self is relative, social comparison theory makes predictions on such diverse topics as self-regulation, subjective well-being, interpersonal attraction and rejection, group formation, group conflict, prejudice, and perceptions of injustice. Unfortunately, the history of this theory is anything but straightforward. To begin, social comparison is not one theory but two. One theory is about motivation and the factors influencing the type of social comparison information people seek from their social environment. The primary dependent variable in this research has been social comparison choice. To a lesser degree, research has also examined efforts to change the self or others so that desirable comparisons can be made. The second social comparison theory is about self-evaluation and the factors influencing the effects social comparisons have on judgments of the self. The primary dependent variables in this research have been mood and state changes in self-esteem.
