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Social Comparison
By Peace | August 8, 2006
According to social psychologist Leon Festinger, social influence is a by-product of our quest for meaning. According to Festinger’s theory of social comparison, we compare ourselves with others socially, using others’ opinions and actions as a standard for judging our own. In brief, people seek information and compare their judgments with those of other people in an effort to verify that information.
Four premises explain the social comparison process:
1. Everyone has beliefs eg. “It is raining”, “Ronald Reagan was the worse president in American history”
2. It is important that our beliefs be correct. For example, if we are wrong about whether it is raining, we may plan outdoor activities and end up getting drenched by a downpour.
3. Some beliefs are easier to verify than others. To test an objective belief like whether it is raining, we need only consult a standard. (eg. by putting our hand out a window to see if it gets wet) It is harder to test a subjective belief like “Ronald Reagan was the worst American President.”. There is no objective standard to test a subjective belief. Instead of consulting an encyclopedia, we rely on other people to agree with us, a process called consensual validation. If people agree(provide us with a consensus), the belief is verified(validated).
4. When there is disagreement about a subjective belief, people will communicate until agreement is restored. Sometimes the deviant minority will convince the majority to agree. More likely the majority will persuade the deviators to give in. If all else fails, the majority may exclude the deviators form the group so that there is once more agreement among those who remain.
Social comparison theory explains why communication is important, and why we so often turn to others and consult their opinions before making our own decisions.
Normative Versus Informational Influence
Another approach to social influence suggests that there are two kinds of influence we seek from others: normative influence and informational influence.
Normative influence occurs when an individual agrees with the norm or central view of a group. This is the type of influence that affects decisions of taste and opinion rather than fact.
Informational influence occurs when an individual is persuaded by the informational content others provide. This occurs when a group discussion provides new, persuasive information.
Friendship And Love
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Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear.
- Don’t cry over anyone who won’t cry over you.
- Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.
- You can only go as far as you push.
- Actions speak louder than words.
- The hardest thing to do is watch the one you love, love somebody else.
- Don’t let the past hold you back; you’re missing the good stuff.
- Life’s short. If you don’t look around once in a while, you might miss it.
- A best friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.
- If you think that the world means nothing, think again. You might mean the world to someone else.
- When it hurts to look back, and you’re scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there
- True friendship never ends.
- Friends are forever.
- Good friends are like stars….You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.
- Don’t frown. You never know who is falling in love with your smile.
- What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?
- NOBODY IS PERFECT UNTIL YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM.
- Everything is okay in the end. If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.
Most people walk in and out of you life. But only True friends leave footprints in your heart.
