Partner comparison in close relationship: The choice of comparison target and the impact of comparison on self-evaluation.

• Main Authors: Yu-Hwai Wu, 吳瑜懷
• Other Authors: CHIEN-RU SUN
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/07071034627998109768

碩士 === 中原大學 === 心理學研究所 === 94 === The purpose of this study is to examine the possible impact of the close partner’s social comparison process. The author tried to investigate who would be considered as the appropriate comparison target for one’s close partner and the possible impacts of the comparison on one’s self-evaluation and the evaluation of the close partner. Experiment 1 examined how one selected the comparison target for one’s close partner when facing different comparison dimensions. The results indicated that, when facing the dimension relates to ability, one tended to choose someone who is similar with one’s close partner as the comparison target. Meanwhile, when facing the affect dimension, one would consider both the similarity between oneself and the other and the similarity between one’s close partner and the other’s close partner. Experiment 2 was a 2(Comparison dimension: ability vs. affect) × 2(The similarity between oneself and the other: similar vs. dissimilar) × 2(The similarity between one’s close partner and others’ close partners: similar vs. dissimilar). The result showed that if other’s close partner outperformed one’s close partner on the ability dimension, one would have lower evaluation of his/her partner, but one’s own self-evaluation would become even higher. A compensation effect and a “cut off” effect were proposed to explain this phenomenon. On the other hand, if one’s close partner was not as good as other’s close partner on the affect dimension, one’s self-evaluation and the evaluation of one’s own close partner were both decreased. Further implications were also discussed.