comparison process

in self psychology, evaluating one’s abilities, traits, or performances in relation to those of selected other people. Comparisons may be upward, as when weekend golfers compare themselves to professionals, or downward, as when weekend golfers compare themselves to beginners. See also social comparison theory.

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Psychology term of the day

May 10th 2024

urban legend

an incredible or lurid story, often involving a mixture of horror and humor, that is widely repeated as if true (often as the experience of a “friend of a friend”) but can never be firmly documented. Urban legends differ from myths and folktales in that they nearly always have a contemporary setting and often involve modern technology (e.g., the many such tales about microwave ovens).