Abstract
In our daily lives, we spontaneously or passively make various social comparisons. In terms of the abilities that are closely linked to our lives, how interpersonal distance affects outcome evaluation in an ability-based social comparison context is largely unknown. In the current study, we used a 2 interpersonal distance × 2 self-outcome × 2 other-outcome within-participant factorial design to investigate how interpersonal distance affects the processing of accuracy outcomes and monetary reward outcomes in social comparison from a temporal processing perspective (N = 25, Mage = 19.84, 52% female). Event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured while the participants performed a dot estimation task with a friend and with a stranger. Regarding behavioral level, the participants were more satisfied when they received positive outcomes and preferred positive outcomes for the friend over the stranger. Regarding ERP level, the effect of interpersonal distance on the processing of judgment accuracy outcomes in social comparison was reflected in the FRN and P300. Specifically, whether the participants were paired with a friend or a stranger, the FRN was larger for other-incorrect than for other-correct in the self-incorrect condition. Only when a participant was paired with a stranger was the FRN larger for stranger-incorrect than for stranger-correct in the self-correct condition. Additionally, the P300 was larger when the participants received the same outcomes as the strangers. Overall, our findings suggest that interpersonal distance moderates the evaluation of social comparison outcomes. Even in a noncompetitive context, individuals tend to compare themselves to strangers.
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Data Availability
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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This work was supported by the Major Project of National Social Science Foundation of China(20ZDA079).
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Shinan Sun, Huina Zhong and Ying Liu performed the data collection. Material preparation and data analysis were performed by Shinan Sun. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Shinan Sun and Xuejun Bai. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Sun, S., Yuan, S., Bao, X. et al. Interpersonal distance modulates outcome evaluation in the social comparison of ability. Curr Psychol 42, 31390–31404 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04157-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04157-w