ABSTRACT
Crises events elicit many forms of coping activity, directed toward such goals as emotion management and problem solving (e.g., Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Increasingly, social comparison activity has been recognized as an important aspect of such coping efforts. Downward comparisons have been regarded as particularly crucial in dealing with life stress. In an influential paper, Wills (1981) suggested that when individuals are confronted with a threat to self-esteem, they may engage in downward comparisons with less advantaged others in an attempt to improve the way they feel about themselves. In a similar vein, Taylor and her colleagues (Taylor, 1983; Taylor, Wood, & Lichtman, 1983) have emphasized that social comparisons to less fortunate others may constitute a method of restoring self-esteem when facing a life-threatening disease. An expanding literature drawing on these ideas is exploring social comparison activity among individuals experiencing a variety of stressful circumstances. However, considerable theoretical confusion remains regarding how comparisons are used in response to stressful events.
