Storytelling and Coping With Stressful Events¹

Abstract

Three studies explored the coping benefits and limitations of stories people hear about others undergoing similar stressful events. In Study One, cancer patients reported that positive stories about other patients were preferable to and more helpful than negative stories, yet negative stories were more commonly told. Study Two manipulated the valence and source of stories told to college students facing midterm exams. Stories with positive endings and those relayed by expert sources were regarded more positively than negative stories and those told by nonexperts. Study Three manipulated the valence and informativeness of stories in a similar college sample. Positive and informative stories were rated more favorably, although these effects were independent of each other. Implications for social comparison and social support are discussed.

The cognitive miser's perspective: Social comparison as a heuristic in self-judgements

“…Festinger (1954) speaks of a unidirectional drive upward in the evaluation of abilities, indicating the basic goal of human beings to improve themselves. People observe and compare themselves with others in order to learn (Berger, 1977) or to be inspired (Brickman & Bulman, 1977;Taylor, Aspinwall, Giuliano, Dakof, & Reardon, 1993). In fact, comparisons may lead to an objectively better performance (Blanton, Buunk, Gibbons, & Kuyper, 1999;Huguet, Dumas, Monteil, & Genestoux, 2001;Marsh & Parker, 1984).…”

Responses to hedonically conflicting social comparisons: comparing happy and unhappy people

“…Morse & Gergen, 1970;Wheeler & Miyake, 1992), other studies suggest that people`under threat' feel comforted and inspired after upward contacts (e.g. Buunk, Collins, Taylor, VanYperen, & Dakof, 1990;Taylor, Aspinwall, Giuliano, Dakof, & Reardon, 1993; see also Gibbons & Gerrard, 1991).A number of factors appear to determine whether one ®nds a social comparison threatening or inspiring Ð for example, whether one socially identi®es with or feels close to the individual or group comparison target (Brewer & Weber, 1994;Brown et al, 1992;Buunk & Ybema, 1997;Lockwood & Kunda, 1997;Tesser, 1988) or whether one feels a sense of control over the dimension under evaluation (Lockwood & Kunda, 1997;Major, Testa, & Bylsma, 1991). For example, after`failing' a test, students who perceived little control over improving their performance reported more negative feelings in response to an upward comparison than those who perceived moderate control (Testa & Major, 1990).…”

Hedonic consequences of social comparison: A contrast of happy and unhappy people.

“…Thus, cancer patients may derive solace from comparisons with real or hypothetical peers whose symptoms or circumstances are even more dire than their own (Wood et al, 1985), but they may also report feeling inspired, optimistic, and hopeful from "upward" contacts with good copers and long-term survivors (Buunk et al, 1990;Taylor, Aspinwall, Giuliano, Dakof, & Reardon, 1993). More generally, a peer's success can be a source of either envy and self-doubt or of inspiration and motivation, and a peer's misfortune may make one feel either fortunate to have escaped such a fate or afraid that a similar fate awaits in the future.…”