PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COMPARING ONESELF TO OTHER PERSONS WITH DIABETES

This experimental study examined social comparison activity among individuals with diabetes, focusing on how they react to information that other people are functioning well or poorly with their own diabetes prognosis and psychological adjustment. Based on a 3 × 3 factorial design, individuals with diabetes (n = 108) read one of nine interviews about another person whose diabetes prognosis and psychological adjustment were described as good, poor, or unspecified. Ratings were obtained on participants' desire to seek information and affiliate with the target as well as on evaluations of their own physical and psychological coping. Results indicated that individuals desired more emotional support from someone who was well adjusted than poorly adjusted in coping with diabetes, and they avoided seeking information from someone who was doing poorly psychologically. Participants also perceived their diabetes condition as better when they compared themselves against someone doing poorly than well, especially on the diabetes prognosis dimension.