Recent research in the areas of social and health psychology has applied Festinger's (1954) theory of social comparison to the study of coping processes. This research has indicated that people who are facing psychological or physical problems (e.g.,cancer, loss of a loved one) will often compare their own situation with that of others who are thought to be worse off, a process called downward comparison. Research by the current investigators has indicated that this type of social comparison can improve mood states and increase optimism about coping abilities. New studies will examine downward comparison as it occurs in two settings. The researchers will examine specific aspects of the downward comparison process, including when people choose to engage in it, what types of people are chosen as comparison targets, and what effect the process has on the perspectives of those who engage in it. Studies will look at how this type of social comparison affect individual's perceptions of deviance, coping abilities and problem severity. The effect it has on individual's perceptions of others who share their problem will also be studied. Downward comparison as it occurs naturally in community support groups for persons with medical and psychological problems will be investigated. This study will assess group members' preferences for (downward) social comparison targets (e.g., a desire to have in their group others who are coping better or worse with the same problem), and relate this preference to changes in optimism and mood and in self-perceptions of coping ability. The research should provide useful information about the process of downward comparison per se, as well as when it ocurs naturally and what effects it has on the people who engage in it and on their perceptions of others like themselves.
