Mind and behavior · 2 min read
In appearance comparisons, feeling worse off went with negative emotions
Adults in Germany reported whether they compared themselves with others, their past, or an ideal. Whether they felt better or worse off mattered more than the reference.
The study, in plain language
The reference point is not always in front of you. When thinking about appearance, someone may compare themselves with another person, their own past or future, an ideal, or an imagined scenario. The team brought these possibilities together in a scale to study how people compare themselves and which emotions accompany the process.
Comparisons that left people worse off were more common and accompanied mainly negative emotions. Those that left people better off occurred less often and accompanied more positive emotions, although there were exceptions depending on the reference. The direction of the comparison was more consistent than each type of reference on its own.
The key idea
When comparing your appearance, whether you felt better or worse off mattered more than the reference: feeling worse off went with negative emotions, and feeling better off with positive emotions.
Something to think about
When you compare your appearance with someone else’s, notice what kind of comparison you are making and what emotion it leaves you with. You can compare yourself with others, your past, or an ideal, and they may not feel the same.
The original study
How we compare: A new approach to assess aspects of the comparison process for appearance-based standards and their associations with individual differences in wellbeing and personality measures
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.