Effects of the developmental stage of one's identity in social comparison

Abstract

The present study had a purpose to examine the relationship between the development of one's identity and social comparison. The hypothesises were as follows: (1) Before people establish their own identities, they tend to compare their self-conceptions with these of others who are similar to themselves (ex. their friends of about their age). At the same time, they want their self-conceptions to be similar to these of similar others. (2) As the identity established, above tendency decreases and shifts to an increase in comparison with dissimilar others who are superior to them. At this stage, people want their self-conceptions to be different from these of similar others. Senior high school students were chosen as subjects, who were in the thick of the developmental stage to establish their own identities. Their developmental stage were measured by 2 methods. They were also requested to respond a questionnaire composed of choices about their way of social comparison. The results supported the hypothesises and suggested that people establish their identities by extending the world around them for social comparison.