Comparison of objects, events, and situations is integral to judgment; comparisons of the self with other people comprise one of the building blocks of human conduct and experience. After four decades of research, the topic of social comparison is more popular than ever. In this timely handbook a distinguished roster of researchers and theoreticians describe where the field has been since its development in the early 1950s and where it is likely to go next.

Over the past decades, the field of health psychology has witnessed a tremendous growth, and social psychologists have contributed substantially to the theoretical foundation of this field. Their research has focused on a wide variety of health-relevant topics such as how individuals decide to respond to threats to their health and well-being, how and why they change their behavior to avoid such threats, and especially, how they adjust to or cope with the risk of threatening disease and with the diseases themselves. As diverse as this literature may be, however, there does appear to be a common theme throughout much of it--the observation that comparison of oneself and one's health status and coping efforts with others is an integral part of the coping process. Consequently, social comparison theory is increasingly becoming recognized as a fruitful framework for illuminating health related issues. A still expanding literature is exploring the role of social comparisons with respect to coping with a wide range of health problems, including cancer, physical decline among the aged, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, stress at work and occupational burnout, and eating disorders. Social comparison theory has augmented knowledge about the ways in which people cope with stressful events, and thus has contributed significantly to it. At a more basic level, research in this applied context has made significant contributions to the development of social comparison theory itself. The present volume presents an overview of the various ways in which social comparison theory has been applied to issues related to health, coping, and well-being, and also points out how these applications have contributed to our insight into the way humans employ social comparison information. Given the attention paid to theoretical and applied issues, this volume will appeal to a wide audience, including social and health psychologists, as well as therapists, physicians, clinicians, medical sociologists, nurses, and those involved in the growing field of nursing research.

Assessment of abilities, opinions, and overall feelings of self-worth, are commonly acknowledged to be influenced by how ones’ attributes compare with those of other people. In contemporary social psychology, this process is known as social comparison or interpersonal comparison. Originally published in 1991, this volume presents the most recent developments in this field of study at the time. As described in the chapters the theory has gone through several iterations, taken on new problems and research paradigms, and reached out to other social-psychological areas of study. Some of this research addresses questions that are logical extensions of Festinger’s theory; some consider questions that derive from entirely different ways of construing the comparison process from Festinger’s original approach. Although all questions are not settled, the work presented here shows how far the original social comparison theory has evolved and suggests where the next insights are likely to be found. Today it can be read in its historical contex

This root-and-branch re-evaluation of Darwin’s concept of sexual selection tackles the subject from historical, epistemological and theoretical perspectives. Contributions from a wealth of disciplines have been marshaled for this volume, with key figures in behavioural ecology, philosophy, and the history of science adding to its wide-ranging relevance. Updating the reader on the debate currently live in behavioural ecology itself on the centrality of sexual selection, and with coverage of developments in the field of animal aesthetics, the book details the current state of play, while other chapters trace the history of sexual selection from Darwin to today and inquire into the neurobiological bases for partner choices and the comparisons between the hedonic brain in human and non-human animals. Welcome space is given to the social aspects of sexual selection, particularly where Darwin drew distinctions between eager males and coy females and rationalized this as evolutionary strategy. Also explored are the current definition of sexual selection (as opposed to natural selection) and its importance in today’s biological research, and the impending critique of the theory from the nascent field of animal aesthetics. As a comprehensive assessment of the current health, or otherwise, of Darwin’s theory, 140 years after the publication of his Descent of Man, the book offers a uniquely rounded view that asks whether ‘sexual selection’ is in itself a progressive or reactionary notion, even as it explores its theoretical relevance in the technical biological study of the twenty-first century.

In times of a worldwide pandemic, the election of a new US president, "MeToo," and "Fridays for Future," to name but a few examples, one thing becomes palpable: the emotional impact of media on individuals and society cannot be underestimated. The relations between media, people, and society are to a great extent based on human emotions. Emotions are essential in understanding how media messages are processed and how media affect individual and social behavior as well as public social life. Adopting a thoroughly interdisciplinary approach to the study of emotions in the context of media, the second, entirely revised and updated, edition of Routledge International Handbook of Emotions and Media comprises areas such as evolutionary psychology, media psychology, media sociology, cultural studies, media entertainment, and political and digital communication. Leading experts from across the globe explore cutting-edge research on the role of emotion in selecting and processing media contents, the emotional consequences of media use, politics and public emotion, emotions in political communication and persuasion, as well as emotions in digital, interactive, and virtual encounters. This compelling and authoritative Handbook is an essential reference tool for scholars and students of media, communication science, media psychology, emotion, cognitive and social psychology, cultural studies, media sociology, and related fields.

In recent years, the traditional psychoanalytic view of the self as an autonomous entity has been shifting to a more relational perspective. This evolution from a solely intrapsychic stance brings psychoanalysis closer to the viewpoint of social psychology, formerly a highly divergent discipline. Bridging these different literatures, THE RELATIONAL SELF describes the extent and meaning of these convergences. The book is divided into four sections. The first two examine current perspectives from psychoanalytic self psychology and social psychology, and the latter two present an integration of psychoanalytic and social-personality approaches. Part One reviews the psychoanalytic theories of character "structure" that focus upon identity maintenance, self-esteem regulation, and resistance to change. Also presented is an interactional view of the self that explores the intersubjective context of intrapsychic experience. Part Two shifts from the largely unconscious intrapsychic self to the self as affected by situational variables. Considered here are the relationship between self-image and attitudes, the social categories deemed by people as important to their identity, and the effects of physical relocation upon self-concept change. Part Three presents a theory of the self with separate rational and experiential processing systems and also explores cultural influences on the self from a psychoanalytic vantage point. Part Four considers psychotherapy, self-verification, and self-concept change, including self-defeating behavior and self-consistency striving; the avoidance of self-awareness; self-evaluation maintenance; and self-with-other representations. Bringing together the work of leading theorists in social, psychoanalytic, and personality psychology on the interaction of self-organization with the social and physical environment, THE RELATIONAL SELF fosters a better understanding of both situational and dispositional variables and a deeper appreciation of the changing theoretical sense of a relational self as the ultimate stage of development.

Current Perspectives in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice is a dynamic reader that provides cutting-edge research in police and correctional psychology, the psychology of crime and victimization, and psychology as applied to criminal and civil courts. Addressing key topics in each of three major course areas—criminal behavior, forensic psychology, and psychology and law—the book highlights how forensic psychology has contributed to the understanding of criminal behavior and crime prevention. Editors Curt R. Bartol and Anne M. Bartol have assembled published journal articles, as well as commentaries written specifically for this book by forensics experts, to provide an overview of the wide array of prevalent theories in this field.

Comparison with other people, a core element of social life, influences self-concept, attitudes, conformity, psychological and physical well-being, achievement, educational outcomes, and social movements. Social comparison has become particularly salient as social and income inequalities have been increasingly recognized in the United States and elsewhere globally. This volume presents classic and state-of-the-science chapters by leading experts that survey the major areas of social comparison theory and research. Authored by noted experts, the volume is divided into three sections: Basic Comparison Processes, Neighboring Fields, and Applications. The first section is comprised of chapters that update classic theories and present contemporary advances, such as the dominating effect of local versus global comparisons, an analysis of the psychology of competition, how comparisons across different domains influence self-concept and achievement, and the integral connections between stereotyping and comparison. The second section introduces perspectives from related fields, such as the decision and network sciences, that shed new light on social comparison. The third section focuses on practical applications of comparison, including relative deprivation, health psychology, the effects of income inequality on well-being, and the relationship of power to comparison. This volume is a must-read for anyone interested in the field of social comparison and its implications for everyday life.