Comparison Definition & Social Comparison Theory
Chapter 1

The bliss of what we never knew

Chapter 2

The leap of faith

Chapter 3

The sting of the empty space

Chapter 4

The trap of comparison

YOUR GOAL

Master of The grass is always greener and other brain lies

Ch 4 · The trap of comparison
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007skaty Social comparison theory explains how we evaluate our own lives against others

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007skaty The Trap of Comparison

Silver only looks at the gold (oh, the gold) / Bronze is just happy to hold (yeah, to hold)

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We value what we have based on what we compare it to, not its actual worth.

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007skaty How comparing our wealth to our neighbors shapes our happiness

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The paradox of choice

007skaty Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper compared 24 jams to 6, proving that choice overload paralyzes shoppers instead of

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The silver medal paradox

007skaty A modernist design card displaying text about comparison and the silver medal paradox.

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Peek-a-Maybe
BETA

007skaty Reveal hidden choices to discover why you must take a chance to know the difference.

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Fun Fact

Bronze medal joy: High-speed cameras at the 1992 Olympics showed bronze medalists smiling instantly upon finishing, while silver medalists typically showed anger or sadness.

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Glossary
comparison (noun)
The act or process of examining two or more things to discover their similarities or differences. Psychologist Leon Festinger introduced social comparison theory in 1954 to explain how individuals self-evaluate against others.

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Gossip

Would you rather be famous but poor, or rich but unknown?

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Quiz

What is the term for mentally simulating alternative realities and thinking about 'what might have been'?

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Quiz

Which Olympic Games were analyzed in the famous 1995 study on silver and bronze medalist emotions?

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Quiz

What is the psychological term for comparing yourself to someone who is perceived as superior?

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Quiz

In the 2000 jam study, which group of shoppers was ten times more likely to buy a jar?

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Quiz

How many total varieties of jam were tested in Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper's 2000 study?

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Quiz

Who proposed social comparison theory in 1954 to explain how humans evaluate themselves?

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Quiz

In the 1995 Olympic study, which medalists were found to be significantly happier than silver medalists?

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Quiz

In the 1998 Harvard study, what did participants prioritize over earning a higher absolute income?

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