Rosario Zurriaga

Engaging in upward and downward comparisons as a determinant of relative deprivation at work: A longitudinal study

Abstract A longitudinal study was conducted among 93 nurses to determine the role of comparing one’s performance with that of one’s colleagues in the increase versus decrease of perceived relative deprivation at work over a period of one year. Relative deprivation at T2 had increased particularly among those high in social comparison orientation ( Gibbons & Buunk, 1999 ) who at T1 (1) more frequently engaged in upward comparisons; (2) more frequently derived positive as well as negative feelings from such comparisons; and (3) more frequently derived negative feelings from downward comparison. Moreover, engaging in downward comparison also led to an increase in perceived relative deprivation at T2. This study is one of the few to find evidence for longitudinal effects of social comparison activity, and the first to find that such effects occur only for those high in social comparison orientation.

Social comparison, coping and depression in people with spinal cord injury

The present study among 70 people with spinal cord injury examined the prevalence and correlates of identification (seeing others as a potential future) and contrast (seeing others in competitive terms) in social comparison as related to coping and depression. The most prevalent social comparison strategy was downward contrast (a positive response to seeing others who were worse-off), followed by upward identification (a positive response to perceiving better-off others as a potential future), downward identification (a negative response to perceiving worse-off others as a potential future), and upward contrast (a negative response to seeing others who were better-off). Those with less severe lesions reported the highest levels of upward contrast, coping through blaming others, and depression. Downward contrast was particularly related to constructive coping, and upward identification to wishful thinking. The less adaptive social comparison strategies, i.e., upward contrast and downward identification, were quite strongly related to wishful thinking and blaming others. Particularly upward contrast, i.e., feeling bad as response to seeing that others are better-off, was related to depression.

Targets and dimensions of social comparison among people with spinal cord injury and other health problems

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 ones symptoms and physical activities. Neuroticism was correlated only with more comparisons of ones 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 ones mental state, ones symptoms and ones 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.

Gender Differences in the Jealousy-Evoking Effect of Rival Characteristics: A Study in Spain and Argentina

This study examines gender differences in the jealousy-evoking nature of rival characteristics in two Spanish-speaking countries (Argentina and Spain). A total of 388 Spanish students and 444 Argentinean students participated in the study. First, the cross-cultural validity of a Dutch scale containing 56 rival characteristics was examined. A factor analysis distinguished four dimensions (i.e., social power and dominance, physical attractiveness, physical dominance, and social-communal attributes). After the analysis, the final scale contained in total 24 items. Results showed that in Argentina and Spain combined, men experienced more jealousy than women when their rival was more physically dominant. In contrast, women experienced more jealousy than men when their rival was more physically attractive, had more social-communal attributes, and had more social power and dominance. In both genders, social-communal attributes was the most jealousy-evoking characteristic, followed by physical attractiveness in women and by social power and dominance in men. In addition, in Argentinean participants but not in Spanish participants, those high in social comparison orientation found the rival characteristics more jealousy evoking.These results provide strong support for the evolutionary hypothesis of gender differences in the rival characteristics that may evoke jealousy. Small size effect differences were found between the two countries and only regarding social-communal attributes.

Social comparison as a predictor of changes in burnout among nurses

Abstract This study addressed the question whether the affect evoked by social comparisons and individual differences in social comparison orientation (SCO) may predict the development of burnout over a period of one year. The participants were 93 nurses (25 males and 68 females) who filled out a questionnaire twice, with an interval of about one year. Comparisons with others performing better than oneself (upward comparisons) were reported to occur more often, to evoke more positive affect, and to invoke less negative affect than comparisons with others performing worse than oneself (downward comparisons). Those who responded at Time 1 (T1) with more positive affect to upward comparison and with less negative affect to downward comparisons, showed a decrease in burnout at Time 2 (T2). In addition, those who responded with relatively more negative affect to upward comparisons at T1, showed an increase in burnout at T2, but only when they were high in SCO. It is concluded that in this population upward comparisons were more prevalent than, and evoked more favorable responses than, downward comparisons. The most important conclusion is that the affect evoked by social comparisons may predict future changes in burnout.

Mobbing in schools and hospitals in Uruguay: Prevalence and relation to loss of status

In the present study in secondary schools and hospitals in Uruguay (N = 187), we examined the relationship between feeling the victim of mobbing and a perceived loss of status. Nearly all forms of mobbing were more prevalent among hospital employees than among school employees. Among hospital employees, 40.4%, and among school employees, 23.9% reported being the victim of mobbing at least once a week. Being the victim of mobbing was, in both hospitals and schools, more prevalent among older employees, and in hospitals, among employees who were more highly educated and who had been employed for a longer time. Men and women did not differ in reporting that one was a victim of mobbing, but men reported more perceived loss of status than women. However, among women, being the victim of mobbing was much more strongly related to experiencing a loss of status than among men. Several explanations for this gender difference and the practical and theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

Competición intrasexual en el trabajo : diferencias sexuales en celos y envidia en el trabajo

Resumen Desde una perspectiva evolucionista, este artículo aborda las diferencias sexuales en las características del rival que provocan celos y envidia en el trabajo, y cómo se relacionan con la competición intrasexual. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 114 trabajadores de diferentes sectores profesionales. Los rivales provocaron más celos y envidia en las mujeres que en los hombres cuando eran físicamente atractivos. En ambos sexos, las habilidades sociales y el poder social y dominancia fueron las características del rival que provocaron más celos y envidia. En las mujeres, los celos provocados por el atractivo físico del rival se relacionaron con la competición intrasexual, mientras que en la envidia fue el poder social y dominancia del rival la característica que se relacionó con la competición intrasexual. En los hombres las características del rival no se relacionaron con las diferencias individuales en competición intrasexual. Este estudio es de los primeros en proveer evidencia sobre las diferencias sexuales en celos y envidia en el trabajo

Attractive rivals may undermine the expectation of career advancement and enhance jealousy : An experimental study

This experiment with 119 adult females examined the effect of a rival’s attractiveness on jealousy and career advancement expectations in a simulated work setting where individuals had to compete for a job promotion. We hypothesized that an attractive rival would evoke relatively more jealousy and lower career advancement expectations, especially in individuals high in Intrasexual Competitiveness (ISC). In addition, we examined the moderating effects of characteristics attributed to the rival in terms of popularity, professionalism, and unfriendliness. The results showed that, overall, an attractive rival induced more jealousy and lower career advancement expectations than an unattractive rival. Especially among women who attributed unfriendliness to their rival, the attractiveness of the rival induced higher levels of jealousy and lower career advancement expectations. Among women high in ISC, the rival’s attractiveness induced lower career advancement expectations. It is recommended that managers and human resource officials pay particular attention to how physical attractiveness may interfere with female employees’ professional development, and to the important role of emotions in the workplace.

Does Theorizing on Reciprocal Altruism Apply to the Relationships of Individuals with a Spinal Cord Injury

From the perspective of reciprocal altruism, we examined the role of reciprocity in the close relationships of people inflicted with a spinal cord injury (SCI) (n = 70). We focused on the help receiver rather than on the help giver. Participants perceived more reciprocity in relationships with friends than in relationships with the partner and with family members. In these last relationships, perceptions of indebtedness were more prevalent than perceptions of deprivation. However, most negative feelings were evoked by a lack of reciprocity in partner relationships, followed by family relationships, and next by friendships. Moreover, depression was especially associated with a lack of perceived reciprocity in the relationships with family, and somewhat less with a lack of perceived reciprocity in the relationship with the partner. These results underline the importance of reciprocity in relationships, but suggest that reciprocity may be more, rather than less important in partner and family relationships.

Jealousy at work: The role of rivals’ characteristics

The present study examined rival characteristics that may evoke jealousy in the workplace, differences between men and women in this regard, and the relationship between jealousy responses and intrasexual competitiveness and social comparison orientation. Participants were 426 male and female employees. By means of a questionnaire, participants were presented with a jealousy-evoking scenario after which jealousy responses to 24 rival characteristics were assessed. Findings showed that a rivals social communal attributes evoked highest levels of jealousy, and that, compared to men, women reported more jealousy in response to a rivals physical attractiveness. Overall, as individuals had higher scores on intrasexual competitiveness and social comparison orientation, they also experienced more jealousy in response to their rival, regardless of his or her characteristics. These findings suggest that those characteristics that are highly valued in employees may backfire when employees perceive co-workers as rivals.