Social Comparison

Nichole Wood-Barcalow; Tracy Tylka; Casey Judge

doi:10.1017/9781108758796.015

Chapter 15 - Social Comparison

from Section II - The Journey Toward Positive Body Image

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 February 2021

Nichole Wood-Barcalow ,

Tracy Tylka and

Casey Judge

Show author details

Nichole Wood-Barcalow: Affiliation:
Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center, Columbus, Ohio
Tracy Tylka: Affiliation:
Ohio State University
Casey Judge: Affiliation:
Ohio State University

Book contents

Get access

Summary

When I (Tracy) was seven years old, I joined the swim team and competed in meets. Toward the end of the last lap, I would always look to my right or left when I came up for a breath to determine how far behind (or ahead) I was to give it my all (or coast in) to the finish. My father, an avid swimmer who watched my performance closely, noticed me comparing myself to others. “What are you doing?” he proclaimed. “That’ll slow you down.” I was embarrassed he noticed, denied doing it, and then tried to be less obvious. Out of the water, I’d compare the size of my bathing suit and the way it fit my body to that of my peers. If they caught me staring, I would have to come up with something quick like, “your suit is really nice.” Even at seven years old, I knew that it wasn’t socially acceptable to compare my performance, or appearance, to others.

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: Positive Body Image Workbook
A Clinical and Self-Improvement Guide
, pp. 219 - 230

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108758796.015 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Festinger, L.. A theory of social comparison processes. Hum Relat 1957; 7: 117–40.Google Scholar

Suhls, J. and Willis, T. A., eds. Social Comparison: Contemporary Theory and Research. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1991.Google Scholar

Leahey, T. M., Crowther, J. H., and Mickelson, K. D.. The frequency, nature, and effects of naturally occurring appearance-focused social comparisons. Behav Ther 2007; 38: 132–43.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Harris, M. M., Anseel, F., and Lievens, F.. Keeping up with the Joneses: A field study of the relationships among upward, lateral, and downward comparisons and pay level satisfaction. J Appl Psychol 2008; 93: 665–73.Google Scholar

O’Brien, K. S., Caputi, P., Minto, R., et al. Upward and downward physical appearance comparisons: Development of scales and examination of predictive qualities. Body Image 2009; 6: 201–6.Google Scholar

Harrison, K.. Media and the body. In: Nabi, R. L. and Oliver, M. B., eds. The Sage Handbook of Media Processes and Effects. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc., 2009: 393–408.Google Scholar

Parker, S., Nichter, M., Nichter, M., et al. Body image and weight concerns among African American and White adolescent females: Differences that make a difference. Hum Organ 1995; 54: 103–14.Google Scholar

McClure, S. M.. Body image among African Americans. In: Cash, T. F., ed. Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press, 2012: 89–94.Google Scholar

Schooler, D., Lowry, L. S., and Biesen, J. N.. Body image among Hispanics/Latinos. In: Cash, T. F., ed. Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press, 2012: 108–13.Google Scholar

Overstreet, N. M., Quinn, D. M., and Bee Agocha, V.. Beyond thinness: The influence of a curvaceous body ideal on body dissatisfaction in Black and White women. Sex Roles 2010; 63: 91–103.CrossRef Google Scholar

Tylka, T. L., Bergeron, D., and Schwartz, J. P.. Development and psychometric evaluation of the Male Body Attitudes Scale. Body Image 2005; 2: 161–75.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Craddock, N.. Colour me beautiful: Examining the shades related to global skin tone ideals. J Aesthetic Nursing 2016; 5: 6.CrossRef Google Scholar

Ching, B. H. and Xu, J. T.. Understanding cosmetic surgery consideration in Chinese adolescent girls: Contributions of materialism and sexual objectification. Body Image 2019; 28: 6–15.Google Scholar

Markula, P.. Beyond the perfect body: Women’s body image distortion in fitness magazine discourse. J Sport Soc Issues 2001; 25: 158–79.Google Scholar

Keery, H., van den Berg, P., and Thompson, J. K.. An evaluation of the Tripartite Influence Model of body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance with adolescent girls. Body Image 2004; 1: 237–51.Google Scholar

Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Bardone-Cone, A. M., and Harney, M. B.. Development and validation of the Body, Eating, and Exercise Comparison Orientation Measure (BEECOM) among college women. Body Image 2012; 9: 476–87.Google Scholar

Rodgers, R., Chabrol, H., and Paxton, S. J.. An exploration of the Tripartite Influence Model of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating among Australian and French college women. Body Image 2011; 8: 208–25.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Lovering, M. E., Rodgers, R. F., George, J. E., et al. Exploring the tripartite influence model of body dissatisfaction in postpartum women. Body Image 2018; 24: 44–54.Google Scholar

Tylka, T. L.. Refinement of the tripartite influence model for men: Dual body image pathways to body change behaviors. Body Image 2011; 8: 199–207.Google Scholar

Fardouly, J., Pinkus, R. T., and Vartanian, L. R.. The impact of appearance comparisons made through social media, traditional media, and in person in women’s everyday lives. Body Image 2017; 20: 31–9.Google Scholar

Leahey, T. and Crowther, J.. An ecological momentary assessment of comparison target as a moderator of the effects of appearance-focused social comparisons. Body Image 2008; 5: 307–18.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Tiggemann, M. and Zaccardo, M.. “Exercise to be fit, not skinny”: The effect of fitspiration imagery on women’s body image. Body Image 2015; 15: 61–7.Google Scholar

Vendemia, M. A. and DeAndrea, D. C.. The effect of viewing thin, sexualized selfies on Instagram: Investigating the role of image source and awareness of photo editing practices. Body Image 2018; 27: 118–27.Google Scholar

Tamplin, N. C., McLean, S. A., and Paxton, S. J.. Social media literacy protects against the negative impact of exposure to appearance ideal social media images in young adult women but not men. Body Image 2018; 26: 29–37.CrossRef Google Scholar

Griffiths, S., Castle, D., Cunningham, M., et al. How does exposure to thinspiration and fitspiration relate to symptom severity among individuals with eating disorders? Evaluation of a proposed model. Body Image 2018; 27: 187–95.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Tiggemann, M., Churches, O., Mitchell, L., et al. Tweeting weight loss: A comparison of #thinspiration and #fitspiration communities on Twitter. Body Image 2018; 25: 133–8.Google Scholar

Prichard, I., McLachlan, A. C., Lavis, T., et al. The impact of different forms of #fitspiration imagery on body image, mood, and self-objectification among young women. Sex Roles 2018; 78: 789–98.Google Scholar

Halliwell, E.. The impact of thin idealized media images on body satisfaction: Does body appreciation protect women from negative effects? Body Image 2013; 10: 509–14.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Andrew, R., Tiggemann, M., and Clark, L.. The protective role of body appreciation against media-induced body dissatisfaction. Body Image 2015; 15: 98–104.Google Scholar

Homan, K. J. and Tylka, T. L.. Self-compassion moderates body comparison and appearance self-worth’s inverse relationships with body appreciation. Body Image 2015; 15: 1–7.Google Scholar

Yamamiya, Y., Cash, T. F., Melnyk, S. E., et al. Women’s exposure to thin-and-beautiful media images: Body image effects of media-ideal internalization and impact-reduction interventions. Body Image 2005; 2: 74–80.Google Scholar

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.