Social comparison in the classroom

Priming approach/avoidance changes the impact of social comparison on self‐evaluation and performance

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9614718
AutoresNatacha Boissicat (0000-0002-3188-5951, LaRAC Univ. Grenoble Alpes France, autor de correspondencia), Marie-Pierre Fayant (0000-0003-4090-4488, Université Paris Cité), Marie‐Pierre Fayant (LPS Université de Paris France), Cécile Nurra (0000-0001-6830-8851, LaRAC Univ. Grenoble Alpes France), Dominique Muller (0000-0001-9544-5317, LIP/PC2S Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc France)
Año2022
Volumen92
Número2
Páginas594-609
Fecha de publicación2022-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaBritish Journal of Educational Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0007-0998 • E-ISSN: 2044-8279
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/bjep.12466
PMID34729763
OpenAlexW3210043483
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas73

BACKGROUND: Social comparisons between pupils are especially relevant at school. Such comparisons influence self-perception and performance. When pupils evaluate themselves more negatively and perform worse after an upward comparison (with a better off pupil) than a downward comparison (with a worse-off pupil), this is a contrast effect. On the other hand, when they evaluate themselves more positively and are better after an upward than downward comparison, this is an assimilation effect. AIMS: We examine assimilation and contrast effects of comparison in the classroom on pupils' self-evaluation and performance. Previous work by Fayant, Muller, Nurra, Alexopoulos, and Palluel-Germain (2011) lead us to hypothesize that approach vs. avoidance moderates the impact of upward vs. downward comparison: approach should lead to an assimilation effect on self-evaluation and performance, while avoidance should lead to contrast on self-evaluation and performance. METHODS: To test this hypothesis, we primed pupils with either approach or avoidance before reading upward or downward comparison information about another pupil. We then measured self-evaluation (Experiment 1) and performance (Experiments 1 and 2). RESULTS: Results confirmed our predictions and revealed the predicted interaction on self-evaluation (Experiment 1) and performance (Experiment 2): approach leads to an assimilation effect (in both experiments) whereas avoidance leads to a contrast effect (in Experiment 2). CONCLUSIONS: These experiments replicate previous studies on self-evaluation and also extend previous work on performance and in a classroom setting. Priming approach before upward comparison seems especially beneficial to pupils

Cognitive psychology · Contrast (vision) · Developmental psychology · Priming (agriculture) · Pupil · Replicate · Self evaluation · Social comparison theory · Statistics · Applied Psychology · Behavioral and Psychological Studies · Computer Science · Mathematics · Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology