Social Comparison

This research is based on 243 interviews conducted in various workplaces and with a wide variety of individuals in modern-day South Africa. The research analysis unearthed a number of themes within the diversity discipline, however, for the purposes of this chapter we had to pick one theme for discussion. This chapter therefore focuses on the negative psychological effects which foreign employees experience in post-Apartheid and democratic South Africa. The dominant diversity discourse has been concerned mainly from a political and policy standpoint (Liff, 1996; Dandeker and Mason, 2001). However, an evolving workplace discourse is emerging, informed by a critical post-structuralist tradition which challenges the static demographic characteristics of individuals and the positive, empowering view of individuals with different capacities – in fact, it has focused our attention on how diversity operates in organisations (Zanoni and Janssens, 2004), economic efficiency (Litvin, 2002), the nature of professions (ibid.) and broader institutional settings (de los Reyes, 2000). These discourses, it would appear, serve mainly to control less-powerful employees, such as immigrant and foreign workers, through focusing on fixed, essential group characteristics. Unfortunately, they overlook the material structure within which such discourse occurs, rendering the system static to ensuing changes in its environment.

This study sought to examine the effect of high school gender composition on eating disorder symptomatology and attitudes of female Australian university students. We compared female students who had previously attended single sex (n = 52) or coeducational (n = 43) high schools on measures of eating disorder symptomatology, role concerns, figure preference and social comparison so as to examine the effect of high school gender composition on these measures. Importantly, the groups compared here were not significantly different in age, body mass index, socioeconomic status, or whether they had previously sought advice about their weight. Contrary to predictions based on previous research, there were no significant differences between the groups on eating disorder symptomatology, role concern, or social comparison measures. However, students who had previously attended single sex schools endorsed significantly thinner figure preferences overall, suggesting that school environment was an important cultural factor in the development of aspiration towards a thin idea. Additionally, both groups perceived their current figure to be larger than the figure they perceived as most attractive. Our findings provide mixed support for the notion that high school gender composition impacted on the eating-related behaviour and attitudes of university students. Methodological differences that may account for the discrepancies between the findings of the current study and those of earlier work are discussed. Further research including longitudinal studies that employ larger sample sizes is required to clarify these findings.

The present article will focus on the cognitive theory of mindfulness and its importance in achieving unconditional self-acceptance. The goal of the mindful perspective is to increase cognitive flexibility and to thereby increase behavioral flexibility and the ability to adapt to one’s current environment in a meaningful manner. Empirical evidence spanning four decades attests to the beneficial effects of a mindful vs. mindless perspective. The article will focus on the following aspects of mindfulness as they apply to self-acceptance: the importance of authenticity, the tyranny of evaluation, the benefits of mistakes, the mindlessness of social comparison, the trap of rigid categories, and the acceptance of self as a mindful choice. The article concludes with a number of mindfulness applications geared toward enhancing self-acceptance.

Purpose–This paper aims to test hypothesized relationships of consumer need for uniqueness, attention to social comparison information, status consumption, and role-relaxed consumption with opinion leadership and opinion seeking for new fashionable clothing. Design/methodology/approach–The authors surveyed 598 consumers between the ages of 18 and 83 years using a self-administered questionnaire. Correlation and linear regression analyses showed that all four independent variables were related to both ...

The present study was carried out to compare the physicochemical characteristics of eggs of guinea fowl, turkeys and domestic chickens outdoor reared in traditional farms in Baghdad, Iraq. A total of 166 fresh eggs; 32 eggs from guinea fowls (Numida meleagris), 44 eggs from turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and 90 eggs from domestic chickens; were collected. Egg weight, percentage of egg components, chemical composition (protein, lipids, and ash), and lipid profile were determined. Results revealed the significant differences in egg weight among studied birds. The average egg weights for guinea fowl, turkey, and indigenous chicken were 48.51 ± 0.72, 52.15 ± 0.74 and 61.24 ± 0.22 g, respectively. No significant differences were found in egg components and the chemical composition of the edible portions of the eggs among studied birds. However, the lipid profile of egg yolk indicated that egg cholesterol and LDL levels were significantly higher in guinea fowl and turkey compared with those in indigenous chickens, whereas native chicken has high values of HDL compared to guinea fowl and turkey. There were no significant differences in the triglyceride level in egg yolks among the studied fowls. In conclusion, although egg weight was significantly different among studied birds, eggs of guinea fowl, turkeys, and domestic chickens were similar in nutritional components.

Social networking sites (SNS) provide opportunities for mood management through selective exposure. This study tested the prediction that negative mood fosters self-enhancing social comparisons to SNS profiles. Participants were induced into positive or negative moods and then browsed manipulated profiles on an experimental SNS. Profiles varied in a 2x2 within-subjects design along two dimensions, ratings of career success and attractiveness, allowing for upward comparisons (high ratings) and downward comparisons (low ratings). Selective exposure was measured in seconds spent viewing profiles. Negative mood led to less exposure to upward comparisons and more to downward comparisons than positive mood. The comparison dimension did not influence selective exposure. Thus, in a negative mood, SNS users prefer self- enhancing social comparisons to manage their mood.

... in a postal district consisting of half of a small town (population about 20,000) in Devon, south west England, and its rural hinterland. ... Consumer behaviour: Debtors were less likely to own a car or telephone, and more likely to report buying cigarettes and Christmas presents for ...