Social and Temporal Comparisons as Moderators of Psychological 					Resources Associations With Wellbeing

Ben–Zur, Hasida

doi:10.1027/1614-0001/a000193

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Upward comparisons involve looking up to someone who is better off (Taylor et al , 1995). Lateral comparisons involve a choice of individuals who are perceived as similar to the person who makes the comparison (Ben-Zur, 2016; Gerber et al , 2018). It has been shown that downward comparisons contribute to positive self-perceptions in old age (Heckhausen and Brim, 1997), while lateral comparisons are important in making older adults realise that age-related change is normal (Ferring and Hoffmann, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of social comparisons on subjective age and self-rated health

Sayag

Kavé

2021

Ageing and Society

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Older adults consistently report young subjective age and provide high ratings of their subjective health. The current research examined which social comparisons older adults make when they assess their subjective age and health, as well as the effects of experimentally manipulated social comparisons on these assessments. In Study 1, 146 participants (aged 60 and over) reported to whom they compared themselves when assessing their subjective age or health. In Study 2, 100 participants (aged 60 and over) reported their subjective age and health after receiving feedback that compared them to younger adults or to their peers. Study 1 shows that participants compared themselves primarily to their peer group. Yet, individuals who selected a younger comparison group when assessing subjective age reported a younger subjective age, better self-rated health and more positive expectations regarding ageing relative to those who selected their peers as a comparison group. No equivalent differences emerged in any of the measures when participants were divided by their selection of comparison group after providing their self-rated health ratings. In Study 2, feedback that emphasised the performance of younger people led to reports of younger subjective age relative to feedback that emphasised peer performance, with no equivalent difference for self-rated health. These findings help explain why older adults feel younger and healthier than they actually are. We suggest that older adults use social comparisons as a strategy that protects them from the negative effects of ageing on self-perception.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of social comparisons on subjective age and self-rated health

Sayag

Kavé

2021

Ageing and Society

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“…Consequently, no definite causal inferences can be drawn with regard to the variables under study. Nonetheless, the hypothetical research model of this study is based on theoretically well-established QoL models (Lawton, 1983; Veenhoven, 2000) and empirically justified (compare Adams et al, 2016; Ben-Zur, 2016; Bowling et al, 2002; Cohen-Mansfield & Taylor, 1998; Cramer-Ebner et al, 2017; Frieswijk et al, 2007; Helvik et al, 2013; Ingrand et al, 2018; Jonker et al, 2008; Kostadinovic et al, 2019; Leão & Perelman, 2018; Li et al, 2006; Naughton et al, 2016; Song et al, 2018; Steptoe et al, 2015; Trentini et al, 2012; Tse et al, 2012; Wiesmann & Hannich, 2014). Furthermore, the longitudinal design permitted unobserved heterogeneity to be controlled for (compare Giesselmann & Windzio, 2012; Pforr & Schröder, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Higher self-rated health—a person’s self-report of the actual state of health—and less subjective pain—a person’s self-report of the actual severity of pain—contributed to greater well-being in general, higher satisfaction with life, less depressive affect, and less loneliness (Adams et al, 2016; Cohen-Mansfield & Taylor, 1998; Cramer-Ebner, Dorn, Feilcke, & Hach, 2017; Ingrand, Paccalin, Liuu, Gil, & Ingrand, 2018; Naughton et al, 2016; Trentini et al, 2012; Tse, Leung, & Ho, 2012). Likewise, enhancing social and temporal health comparisons—in other words, comparisons of a person’s current health status compared with another person’s health status or to one’s own health status at a given time in the past—were shown to be related to greater positive affect, life satisfaction and overall well-being (Ben-Zur, 2016; Frieswijk, Buunk, Steverink, & Slaets, 2007).…”

Section: The Role Of Self-perceptions Of Health In Geriatric Rehabili...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral and emotional quality of life of patients undergoing inpatient geriatric rehabilitation.

Bordne¹,

Rietz²,

Schulz³

et al. 2020

Rehabilitation Psychology

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Purpose: In the context of geriatric rehabilitation, 2 quality of life (QoL) facets are of particular importance: a behavioral, more objective facet, and an emotional, more subjective facet. This study looked at changes in these 2 QoL facets during rehabilitation, their relationship to each other and potential mediating processes. Design: Ninety-two geriatric patients were assessed by the geriatric assessment and a structured face-to-face interview at admission to and discharge from an inpatient geriatric rehabilitation ward. Behavioral QoL was measured in terms of independence in the activities of daily living and mobile abilities, while positive and negative affect represented emotional QoL. As potential mediators, self-perceptions of health (self-rated health, subjective pain, temporal health comparison) were assessed. Statistical analysis comprised repeated-measures (multivariate) analyses of variance as well as regression and mediation analyses based upon a fixed effects-panel model. Results: All behavioral and emotional QoL indicators showed significant prepost improvements. During rehabilitation, changes in behavioral QoL were significantly related to changes in emotional QoL. Multiple regression of changes in emotional QoL on changes in behavioral QoL and in self-perceptions of health revealed, however, that only health perceptions significantly predicted emotional QoL. Mediation analysis showed that self-perceptions of health fully mediated the relationship between behavioral and emotional QoL outcomes. Conclusions: During geriatric rehabilitation, significant progress can be made regarding QoL. The results indicate that the influence of physical progress on affective improvements is conveyed through self-perceptions of health, showing the importance of self-perceptions of health for emotional QoL in geriatric rehabilitation. Impact and ImplicationsThe present research not only gives an insight into the objective quality of life, but also into the rarely considered subjective quality of life of geriatric patients during inpatient geriatric rehabilitation. The relationship between improvements in physical functioning and improvements in affect is addressed, taking into account the mediating role of changes in self-perceptions of health. Stronger promotion of the subjective quality of life in terms of affective outcomes in the rehabilitation process is needed, as affective improvements lag behind physical progress. Self-perceptions of health have to be considered in the rehabilitation context as they seem to play an important role alongside physical functioning for the affective experience of patients undergoing inpatient geriatric rehabilitation.

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“…The term goal adjustment refers to forms of coping that people undertake when their goals are threatened and successful achievement seems difficult. Changes in the priorities of the hierarchy of objectives (Carver & Scheier, 2016), downward social comparison (Ben-Zur, 2016), or detachment from goals (Brandstätter & Bernecker, 2021; Wrosch et al, 2003) can be functional in that too much effort in solving a problem is avoided. Several models of self- and developmental regulation have argued that the adjustment of goals that can barely be reached is adaptive (Brandtstädter, 2009; Wrosch & Scheier, 2020).…”

Section: Longitudinal Relationships Between Goal Adjustment and Well-...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Goal Adjustment and Subjective Well-Being in Adulthood

Leipold

Loepthien

Loidl

et al. 2023

Journal of Individual Differences

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Studies on motivational development in adulthood often use self-report measures to examine the relationship between aspects of goal adjustment (accommodative coping, detachment from goals, goal pursuit), and well-being. Most have focused on how tendencies in general goal adjustment regulate subjective well-being. The present study examined the longitudinal associations between well-being (life satisfaction, positive affect) and goal adjustment and between accommodative coping and goal pursuit. Variables were assessed in a three-wave longitudinal study (intervals of about 1 year) with a sample of N = 305 adults aged 30–78 years. Longitudinal effects were computed with latent growth models. Results showed that increases in well-being predicted increases in goal pursuit and accommodative coping (positive reappraisal/personal growth, acceptance, reorientation). Increases in accommodative coping predicted increases in goal pursuit and goal detachment. The initial level of goal pursuit predicted decreases in accommodative coping, and the initial level of accommodative coping predicted increases in well-being. In sum, the study demonstrated that subjective well-being is a resource for goal pursuit and accommodative coping, but also that an increase in well-being profits from both. The study provided evidence for the growing relationships of goal adjustment facets.

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Social and Temporal Comparisons as Moderators of Psychological Resources Associations With Wellbeing

Cited by 5 publications

References 53 publications

The effects of social comparisons on subjective age and self-rated health

The effects of social comparisons on subjective age and self-rated health

Behavioral and emotional quality of life of patients undergoing inpatient geriatric rehabilitation.

Goal Adjustment and Subjective Well-Being in Adulthood

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