PSYC 333 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Positive Feedback, Stage Fright, Positive Illusions
Document Summary
Comparing ourselves to other people, better-than-average effect, etc. Biased evaluations when we compare ourselves to others. Strong desire for others to see us positively. Social comparison can be threatening (we often compare to similar or superior others)we have little control over other people"s traits and abilities. Temporal comparison especially to past selves are often downward and therefore feel self. The present is better than the past and the future will be even better . Hypothesis: temporal (vs. social) comparison favored when people want to enhance themselves prime the motive to enhance or the motive to be evaluative/accurate. Sometimes we want to describe ourselves in a way that makes us feel particularly good about ourselves. We select information that makes us feel best and describe ourselves in the most positive light. Describe yourself in a way that makes you feel good about yourself. Sometimes we want to evaluate ourselves as accurately as possible.
