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Targets and dimensions of social comparison among people with spinal cord injury and other health problems
- Authors:
- BUUNK Abraham P., et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Health Psychology, 11(4), November 2006, pp.677-693.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The present research examined comparison targets and comparison dimensions among two Spanish samples of individuals facing serious illnesses and diseases. In Study 1, 90 older patients (mean age 66.36) with various age-related diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, indicated that they compared themselves most often with others with the same disease, next with others with another disease and least with people without health problems. They compared themselves more often on their mental state, symptoms and physical activities than on their social activities. Social comparison orientation (SCO) as an individual difference characteristic was associated with more frequent comparisons with particularly similar targets, and with more frequent comparisons of one's symptoms and physical activities. Neuroticism was correlated only with more comparisons of one's symptoms. Study 2 was conducted in a sample of 70 relatively young patients (mean age 43.97) with spinal cord injury (SCI). Overall, they compared themselves more often with others than the participants in Study 1, and they compared themselves to a similar extent with people with SCI as with people with another disease and with people without health problems. While they felt on average better off than people with other diseases and other people with SCI, people with SCI felt on average worse off than people without health problems. They compared themselves more often on physical activities than on any other dimension. Higher levels of stress and uncertainty were associated with more frequent comparisons with people without SCI, and with more frequent comparisons of one's mental state, one's symptoms and one's future perspectives. The discussion focuses on the theoretical relevance of the results for social comparison theory, and on the practical relevance of the findings for interventions.
Effects of the source of social comparison information on former cancer patients’ quality of life
- Authors:
- BRAKEL Thecla M., DIJKSTRA Arie, BUUNK Abraham P.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Health Psychology, 17(4), November 2012, pp.667-681.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Life for former cancer patients following curative treatment can be a struggle. In this phase of their illness, social comparison information may help to improve a patient's quality of life (QOL). This study investigated whether the effects of this information depend on the following two variables: the individual's physical health; and the individual's sensitivity to social comparison. In a randomised field experiment, 154 former cancer patients in the Netherlands were assigned to one of the four conditions (three expert source and one former patient source condition). QOL was assessed after 2 months. Three different recorded interviews with experts were compared (on negative emotions, effective coping, or both), and individual differences were tested as moderators. In addition, the expert source conditions were compared with a condition in which the source was not an expert but a former patient. Findings revealed that the effects of the expert source conditions on QOL depended on the participants’ physical health and on the participants’ sensitivity to social comparison, as indicated by significant three-way interactions. In conclusion, desired and undesired effects were found when individual differences relevant to the processing of intervention information are examined.