Social Comparison and prosocial behavior: An applied study of social identity theory in community food drives

Abstract

Social Identity Theory and the concept of social comparison have inspired research on individuals, addressing effects of personal and environmental factors in directing social attention. The theory's conceptual origins, however, suggest that social comparison may have behavioral implications as well. Such behaviors may include attempts by an individual to enhance the relative status of his ingroup on a salient dimension of comparison. Such behavior is referred to as "social competition." In two studies, the effects of social comparison and social competition were measured in the real-world environment of community food drives. Participants were aggregated by household; 600 households in upper middle-class neighborhoods in Eugene and Salem, Oregon, were contacted. In Study 1 of 300 households, it was hypothesized that inclusion of a social competition cue in requests for donation would significantly increase the likelihood of donation. This hypothesis was supported. Study 2 was done to clarify the possible role in a social comparison of perceived ingroup inferiority in the prior observed increase in donations. The inclusion of a social comparison cue in the donation request significantly increased donations in households of the second study. The findings suggest that researchers should expand study of the theory's behavioral implications, including the role of social comparison in prosocial behavior.

Inspired by Hope, Motivated by Envy: Comparing the Effects of Discrete Emotions in the Process of Social Comparison to Media Figures

“…Yet, emotional arousal alone is less interesting than the role that emotional arousal may play in mediating subsequent behavior. Although the studies described above did not link discussion of emotion to overt behavior, the psychology literature generally does suggest that social comparisons can lead to specific behavioral outcomes in both children (Santrock, Smith, & Bourbeau, 1976;Steinbeis & Singer, 2013;Toda, Shinotsuka, McClintock, & Stech, 1978) and adults (Darley, 1966;Johnson & Stapel, 2007;Karlsson, Garling, Dellgran, & Klingander, 2005;Klein, 2003;Lam, Van der Vegt, Walter, & Huang, 2011;Shipley, 2008;Williams & Geller, 2000). But how, if at all, are behavioral outcomes mediated by discrete emotions evoked through social comparison processes?…”

The development and validation of the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R)

“…While recent work challenges some of Festinger's hypotheses, a large body of literature supports much of the original theory (Wood, 1989). Indeed, researchers have found evidence of social comparison processes regarding academic achievement, health behaviors, perceived quality of life, career goals and expectations, prosocial behavior, intelligence, personality, appearance, and psychopathology such as social phobia, substance use, depression, and eating disorders (Antony, Rowa, Liss, Swallow, & Swinson, 2005;Bailey & Ricciardelli, 2010;Buunk & Brenninkmeyer, 2000;Gibbons, 1986;Gibson & Lawrence, 2010;Mahler, Kulik, Gerrard, & Gibbons, 2010;Myers & Crowther, 2009;Novak & Crawford, 2001;Shipley, 2008;White, Langer, Yariv, & Welch, 2006;Yang & Oliver, 2010;Zhu, Zhang, & Wu, 2011). Moreover, the proposed differential positive and negative effects of upward versus downward comparisons has been observed in numerous comparison domains (Bailey & Ricciardelli, 2010;Bauer & Wrosch, 2011;Diener, 1984;Tesser, Millar, & Moore, 1988).…”

Upward and downward social comparisons can decrease prosocial behavior

“…In a study of prosocial behavior and group social comparison, Shipley (2008) induced an upward social comparison by providing cues to participants that the food banks in their particular city, county, or state were less well stocked as compared to other municipal food banks. These cues, as compared with the absence of such cues, led participants to donate more to a local food drive, indicating that upward comparison can increase prosocial behavior.…”