The social comparison theory: A definition and examples

Scrolling through social media can leave anyone feeling insecure. Celebrities, social influencers, and even your acquaintances often curate pictures on their feed to make their lives look perfect.

When you’re trying to build confidence and stop being self-conscious, you might think you just need to avoid comparing yourself to others. But that’s not a flick-of-the-wrist task. First, you need to understand why you do it. Understanding this “Why” will help you determine how best to address it.

The social comparison theory can help you understand the reasons behind these comparisons, both on and offline. This kind of social behavior isn’t all bad. You just have to know how to use it to your advantage.

What’s the social comparison theory?

While social media makes social comparisons easier, this behavior predates the internet by thousands of years. As Leon Festinger proposed with the social comparison theory, it’s part of human nature to make observations about others to better understand oneself.

Many social psychologists agree that social comparison is an evolutionary trait. And researchers have observed it in other species, like baboons and guppies. It all stems from the need to fit in and to see how your physical strength stacks up to your competitors.

The 3 types of social comparisons

Social comparison manifests itself in three distinct ways:

1. Upward social comparison

When you judge yourself against someone you think is better than you, you’re practicing upward social comparison. This sense of superiority is subjective. You might view the person as more attractive, successful, or popular, but that doesn’t mean others feel the same way — it’s all relative.

Upward social comparisons are common on social media since people often curate photos to make their lives seem more perfect than they really are. Imagine being a young mother with a newborn following an Instagram model who just had a baby.

And let’s say for example that you feel insecure about your body as you look at the model’s gym selfies. You scrutinize the pictures, evaluating your body and lifestyle based on what you observe in the selfies. This would be an example of upward social comparison. 

2. Lateral social comparison

Comparing yourself to someone you consider neither superior nor inferior to you is known as lateral social comparison. You might do this with a work colleague who’s at the same level as you on the organizational structure.

How you define success or equality might not align with your colleague’s idea of those concepts. You could be comparing yourself laterally while your coworker looks at you as superior or less competent than them. It’s all subjective.

3. Downward social comparison

Comparing yourself to someone you perceive as inferior is a downward social comparison. For example, if seeing a Facebook friend’s repeated posts about struggling to pay the bills makes you feel better about your financial security, you’re practicing a downward comparison.

While comparing yourself to those you view as “less than” can temporarily boost your morale, it can mean you’re experiencing low self-esteem. Try to get to the root of these social comparisons to understand why you might want to view someone as beneath your success or capabilities. 

Are social comparisons good or bad?

The effects of social comparison can be both positive and negative.

Constantly comparing yourself to others can trigger stress and make it hard to choose your own life path. You might overlook your own achievements because you feel you must accomplish what someone else has. 

But social comparison can also be a technique for self-discovery. You can learn more about who you are and what you want by assessing your goals and personal values compared to your community’s.

Here are some more pros and cons of social comparison.

Pros

• Looking up to other people can motivate and inspire you to make positive changes
• Using comparison to evaluate your own abilities can help you set realistic goals
• You might feel inspired to cultivate more positive personality traits
• Watching others overcome adversity can help you push through obstacles

Cons

• You might fall victim to toxic productivity as you try to keep up with others’ work output, in turn damaging your mental health and pushing yourself to the point of burnout
• Being hyper-aware of what others consume or letting others influence your body image can lead to disordered eating
• Feeling “less than” can make it hard to overcome imposter syndrome
• Comparing yourself to siblings or coworkers can make you feel like you don't belong
• Relying on others to enhance your self-esteem is unsustainable in the long-term

5 factors that drive social comparison

Here are five key factors social psychologists suggest drive social comparisons:

1. Establishing a sense of self

Festinger believed that people who feel uncertain about their attributes look to others to understand who they are. When you can observe someone and determine how you relate to them or how they’re different, finding the words to describe yourself is sometimes easier.

Upward, lateral, and downward social comparisons can all contribute to the self-evaluation that helps you understand who you are.

2. Achieving self-enhancement

Establishing not just a sense of self but a positive sense of self is another motivating factor. Practicing thoughtful and kind-spirited downward social comparison can protect or enhance your self-esteem.

And upward social comparison can inspire self-improvement, motivating you to rethink what success means to you and go for it.

3. Confirming your self-image

You might look to others to confirm what you believe is true. But it’s sometimes hard to remain objective and look past the bias you’ve already established. One interesting example is intelligence.

One study found that 65% of Americans think they’re smarter than average. If you make comparisons with this self-perception in mind, your observations may confirm your belief, whether or not it’s actually true.

5. Understanding results

When you finish a task, it’s normal to compare your results with others’ to determine your performance level. This is benchmarking, and it helps you figure out whether you need to put in more effort or perhaps spent too much time on a task or project. As a manager, you might also compare colleagues to determine performance benchmarks employees must meet to perform well. 

6. Aligning with the culture you’re in

Certain environments lend themselves to social comparison. Corporate workplaces are a great example. Colleagues compare themselves socially, intellectually, and on their work ethic — it’s hard not to.

When your manager offers another employee a raise, promotion, or presentation opportunity, you might wonder why you weren’t chosen and whether you’re qualified enough to be on the team.

Social comparison examples

Everyone takes part in social comparison to some degree. Here are a few common examples:

• Intellectual: You might feel inspired (or intimidated) by someone you think is smarter than you. Or you might feel better about yourself when your boss recognizes your intellectual achievements in front of coworkers. 

• Romantic: If you and your partner fight a lot, you might look at other couples and wonder why your relationship can’t be more like theirs. Or you might know a couple who’s constantly breaking up and getting back together, making you more appreciative of your healthy relationship.

• Financial: If your neighbor pulls in with the car you always dreamed of, you might feel motivated to find a better job so you can buy one, too. And if you’re the one with the fancy car, you might feel superior to someone whose truck is always breaking down.

• Physical: If you’re insecure about your body or have a goal to get stronger, seeing others you feel are more physically fit can be motivating or defeating.

• Athletic: If you always dreamed of running eight miles, watching a friend train and complete a marathon might give you the motivation you need. And if you’re insecure about your soccer skills, watching a less-competitive team play might give you validation.

• Social: You might look to social media platforms to determine how strong your social life is. Seeing a friend post frequent pictures of fun nights out might make you feel dull or unpopular. And noticing someone’s posts about feeling lonely might make you appreciate all the people in your life.

Be mindful of the comparisons you make 

Trying to completely prevent yourself from making comparisons is unrealistic. But it’s good to be aware of the potential adverse effects. If you’re mindful of the social comparison theory, you’ll better understand who you compare yourself to and why. You might also learn more about what you really want out of life and can then make the appropriate plan to achieve it.