1. Introduction Results Conclusions Method
Adolescent Roots of Social Comparison and Later Links to Loneliness Joseph S. Tan, Jessica Kansky, Rachel K. Narr, & Joseph P. Allen University of Virginia. We would like to thank the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development for funding awarded to Joseph P. Allen, Principal Investigator, (R01 HD & R01-MH58066) for funding to conduct this study as well as for the write-up of this study.
Measures
Popularity was assessed through a sociometric nomination system (Coie & Dodge, 1983).
Valuing popularity was assessed through self-report at ages (α’s = ).
Social comparison was assessed through self-report at age 19 (Gibbons & Buunk, 1999; α = .86).
Participants reported on if they were in a dating relationship at age 19.
Loneliness was assessed annually from ages 26 through 28 with the self-report UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, 1996; α’s = ).
Introduction
Results
Loneliness, or perceived social isolation, has been identified as a significant risk factor for mortality, as well as a myriad of physical and psychological problems (Cacioppo et al., 2015; Holt-Lundstad, 2015).
One social process that might be consequential for the individual experience of loneliness is social comparison.
While the hypervigilance to social cues that likely occurs during social comparison is thought be part of the cognitive reaffiliation process that might lead to alleviating loneliness through reconnection, this process can also go awry and then reinforce loneliness through overattending to social cues (Qualter et al., 2015).
Furthermore, engagement in high amounts of social comparison may reflect an emphasis on the more superficial qualities of relationships.
In adolescence, social behavior that reflects an emphasis on the appearance of maturity has been associated with long-term difficulties in close relationships (Allen et al., 2014).
In this study, we sought to investigate the relationship of adolescent indicators of emphasizing the appearance of social success, social comparison, and loneliness.
Analyses controlling for gender and income suggested that valuing popularity in early adolescent predicted higher levels of social comparison in early adulthood (see Figure 1).
Higher family income also predicted higher amounts of social comparison and was also related to sociometric popularity.
None of the early adolescent predictors were associated with being in a dating relationship in early adulthood.
Being in a dating relationship was related to engaging in less social comparison.
Social comparison in early adulthood predicted greater amounts of loneliness 8 years later in adulthood (see Figure 2).
Figure 1. Adolescent predictors of early adult social comparison.
Note: All coefficients are standardized betas; analyses control for gender; non significant paths are not shown.
*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001
Adolescence (age 13-15)
Early Adulthood (age 19)
Valuing popularity
Conclusions
.25***
Social comparison
Those who place importance on visible indicators of social success engage in more social comparison in early adulthood, which in turn forecasts higher loneliness later in adulthood.
However, when it comes to attaining dating relationships, neither the visible indicators of social success nor social comparison are positively associated.
The results suggest that placing value on superficial indicators of social success may not yield lasting social success.
Future Directions
What mediates the association between social comparison and loneliness?
What qualities of close relationships (friend and romantic) are predicted by social comparison?
Popularity (sociometric)
-.19*
In a dating relationship
.38***
.34***
Family income
Method
Figure 2. Early adult social comparison predicts later loneliness.
Participants
Participants were 184 individuals annually from ages 13 to 15, at age 19, and annually from ages 26 to 28.
The sample was 63% European-American, 27% African-American, and 14% mixed race or other race/ethnicities.
Baseline median family income was in the $40,000 to $59,000 range
Procedure
Between ages 13 to 15, popularity and valuing popularity were assessed, composites were created centering on age 14.
At age 19, social comparison and whether the participants were in a dating relationship were assessed.
Between ages 26 and 28, participants reported on their loneliness annually; composites were created centering on age 27.
Note: All coefficients are standardized betas; analyses control for gender; non significant paths are not shown.
*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001
Early Adulthood (age 19-21)
Adulthood (age 26-28)
Social comparison
.32***
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Questions?
-.19*
Loneliness
In a dating relationship