Jerry Suls - Böcker

Comparison with other people, a core element of social life, influences self-concept, attitudes, conformity, psychological and physical well-being, achievement, educational outcomes, and social movements. Social comparison has become particularly salient as social and income inequalities have been increasingly recognized in the United States and elsewhere globally.This volume presents classic and state-of-the-science chapters by leading experts that survey the major areas of social comparison theory and research. Authored by noted experts, the volume is divided into three sections: Basic Comparison Processes, Neighboring Fields, and Applications. The first section is comprised of chapters that update classic theories and present contemporary advances, such as the dominating effect of local versus global comparisons, an analysis of the psychology of competition, how comparisons across different domains influence self-concept and achievement, and the integral connections between stereotyping and comparison. The second section introduces perspectives from related fields, such as the decision and network sciences, that shed new light on social comparison. The third section focuses on practical applications of comparison, including relative deprivation, health psychology, the effects of income inequality on well-being, and the relationship of power to comparison. This volume is a must-read for anyone interested in the field of social comparison and its implications for everyday life.

Comparison of objects, events, and situations is integral to judgment; comparisons of the self with other people comprise one of the building blocks of human conduct and experience. After four decades of research, the topic of social comparison is more popular than ever. In this handbook a distinguished roster of researchers and theoreticians describe where the field has been since its development in the early 1950s and where it is likely to go next.

Social Psychological Foundations of Health and Illness is a summary of current research in social-health psychology. The chapters, written by distinguished leaders in the field, provide brief surveys of classic developments in each area of study followed by extended discussion of the authors’ research programs. Includes state-of-the-art descriptions of new findings and theories concerning social aspects of physical health and illness. Discusses virtually all of the major topics studied in the contemporary field of social-health psychology. Contains chapters written by leading figures in the field that discuss their own research within the context of classic efforts.

This books describes how and why "distant" social influences, such as socialization practices, interpersonal relationships, and social organization, are often just as important as medical considerations in determining an individual's tendency toward health or illness. The essays describe some of the pathways through which these social influences are exerted and also offer suggestions as to how these influences can be swayed in the direction of good health. The editors' broader aim is to stress the importance of social psychological orientation as a useful conceptual tool for the analysis of health and illness.

The primary aim of this volume is to present the most recent advances in the psychological study of the self with a special emphasis on the factors that contribute to self-concept and self-esteem. This volume offers the following features: * state-of-the-art testimonies of important new research programs on the self * valuable reviews and literature on measurement of self-concept * analysis of sociocultural influences on self -- an understudied topic until recently * new theory on the origins of self-enhancement

Assessment of abilities, opinions, and overall feelings of self-worth, are commonly acknowledged to be influenced by how ones’ attributes compare with those of other people. In contemporary social psychology, this process is known as social comparison or interpersonal comparison. Originally published in 1991, this volume presents the most recent developments in this field of study at the time. As described in the chapters the theory has gone through several iterations, taken on new problems and research paradigms, and reached out to other social-psychological areas of study. Some of this research addresses questions that are logical extensions of Festinger’s theory; some consider questions that derive from entirely different ways of construing the comparison process from Festinger’s original approach. Although all questions are not settled, the work presented here shows how far the original social comparison theory has evolved and suggests where the next insights are likely to be found. Today it can be read in its historical contex

Assessment of abilities, opinions, and overall feelings of self-worth, are commonly acknowledged to be influenced by how ones’ attributes compare with those of other people. In contemporary social psychology, this process is known as social comparison or interpersonal comparison. Originally published in 1991, this volume presents the most recent developments in this field of study at the time. As described in the chapters the theory has gone through several iterations, taken on new problems and research paradigms, and reached out to other social-psychological areas of study. Some of this research addresses questions that are logical extensions of Festinger’s theory; some consider questions that derive from entirely different ways of construing the comparison process from Festinger’s original approach. Although all questions are not settled, the work presented here shows how far the original social comparison theory has evolved and suggests where the next insights are likely to be found. Today it can be read in its historical contex

This books describes how and why "distant" social influences, such as socialization practices, interpersonal relationships, and social organization, are often just as important as medical considerations in determining an individual's tendency toward health or illness. The essays describe some of the pathways through which these social influences are exerted and also offer suggestions as to how these influences can be swayed in the direction of good health. The editors' broader aim is to stress the importance of social psychological orientation as a useful conceptual tool for the analysis of health and illness.

The primary aim of this volume is to present the most recent advances in the psychological study of the self with a special emphasis on the factors that contribute to self-concept and self-esteem. This volume offers the following features: * state-of-the-art testimonies of important new research programs on the self * valuable reviews and literature on measurement of self-concept * analysis of sociocultural influences on self -- an understudied topic until recently * new theory on the origins of self-enhancement

Comparison of objects, events, and situations is integral to judgment; comparisons of the self with other people comprise one of the building blocks of human conduct and experience. After four decades of research, the topic of social comparison is more popular than ever.