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social comparison
You derive your self-worth by comparing yourself to peers.
Social comparison theory posits that you evaluate your own abilities and opinions by comparing them to others.
When objective measures are unavailable, you turn to the people around you to determine how you are doing. You often compare yourself to those who are slightly better off, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy or motivation depending on the context. This constant calibration keeps your self-assessment tethered to your social circle.
You define your success by the distance between you and your peers.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Leon Festinger, 1954
- What the check found
- Leon Festinger's seminal paper, 'A Theory of Social Comparison Processes,' was indeed published in 1954, and the claim accurately describes the theory's core premise.
- Confidence
- Well replicated
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.