Relativity in Social Cognition: Basic processes and novel applications of social comparisons
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Standard
In: European Review of Social Psychology, Vol. 34, No. 2, 2023, p. 387-440.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Relativity in Social Cognition: Basic processes and novel applications of social comparisons
AU - Unkelbach, Christian
AU - Alves, Hans
AU - Baldwin, Matthew
AU - Crusius, Jan
AU - Diel, Kathi
AU - Galinsky, Adam D.
AU - Gast, Anne
AU - Hofmann, Wilhelm
AU - Imhoff, Roland
AU - Genschow, Oliver
AU - Lammers, Joris
AU - Pauels, Eileen
AU - Schneider, Iris
AU - Topolinski, Sascha
AU - Westfal, Mareike
AU - Mussweiler, Thomas
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - A key challenge for social psychology is to identify unifying principles that account for the complex dynamics of social behaviour. We propose psychological relativity and its core mechanism of comparison as one such unifying principle. To support our proposal, we review recent evidence investigating basic processes underlying and novel applications of social comparisons. Specifically, we clarify determinants of assimilation and contrast, evaluative consequences of comparing similarities vs. differences, attitudinal effects of spatial relativity, and how spatial arrangements determine perceived similarity, one of the antecedents of social comparisons. We then move to behavioural relativity effects on motivation and self-regulation, as well as imitation behaviour. Finally, we address relativity within the more applied areas of morality and political psychology. The reviewed research thereby illustrates how unifying principles of social cognition may be instrumental in answering old questions and discovering new phenomena and explanations.
AB - A key challenge for social psychology is to identify unifying principles that account for the complex dynamics of social behaviour. We propose psychological relativity and its core mechanism of comparison as one such unifying principle. To support our proposal, we review recent evidence investigating basic processes underlying and novel applications of social comparisons. Specifically, we clarify determinants of assimilation and contrast, evaluative consequences of comparing similarities vs. differences, attitudinal effects of spatial relativity, and how spatial arrangements determine perceived similarity, one of the antecedents of social comparisons. We then move to behavioural relativity effects on motivation and self-regulation, as well as imitation behaviour. Finally, we address relativity within the more applied areas of morality and political psychology. The reviewed research thereby illustrates how unifying principles of social cognition may be instrumental in answering old questions and discovering new phenomena and explanations.
KW - Psychology
KW - Social comparison
KW - evaluative judgements
KW - self-regulation
KW - motivation
KW - imitation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146235344&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/ae81e1c6-0f99-3a41-b66e-495a3ab70d8e/
U2 - 10.1080/10463283.2022.2161043
DO - 10.1080/10463283.2022.2161043
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 34
SP - 387
EP - 440
JO - European Review of Social Psychology
JF - European Review of Social Psychology
SN - 1046-3283
IS - 2
ER -