The present study was designed to explore via laboratory analogue, the effects of two selected aspects of social environmental context--task goal structure and nature of children's relationship--on children's social comparison behavior. Specifically the effects of cooperation/competition and friendship on children's production of social comparison statements were studied. / Fifty-five pairs of preschoolers, first graders and third graders were filmed as they participated in a series of three 10-minute drawing tasks. Video records of these pairs of friends or nonfriends interacting were transcribed. Social comparison statements were identified and coded for content and function. / Task goal structure was found to impinge upon the frequency of children's social comparison statements with children producing proportionately more social comparison statements while competing than when cooperating or merely drawing side by side. Lack of friendship or age effects were attributed to the "forced comparability" of the task situation and the tendency of children 8 and younger to indiscriminately select comparison partners. / Finally, it was indicated by examination of social comparison content and function that the "bit of data" children most frequently compared was performance and that the reason underlying most social comparisons was to establish similarity. Several content and function trends by task condition, friendship status, and age level were found that warrant attention in future investigations. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-12, Section: B, page: 5258. / Major Professor: Murray Krantz. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77915 |
| Contributors | Readdick, Christine Anderson., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 174 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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