The Performance Versus Ability Distinction Following Social Comparison Feedback

Previous research suggests that self-evaluations can be influenced by social comparison feedback. The present study tested whether social comparison feedback has stronger effects on self-evaluations of performance than ability. Participants received social comparison feedback indicating that they had performed above or below average. In addition to rating their performance and ability, participants listed the criteria they used to make these ratings. The results show that social comparison had a stronger effect on performance judgments than ability judgments and that most participants reported using test feedback to evaluate performance and existing self-knowledge to evaluate ability.