Can Social Comparison Lead to a Decrease in Prosocial Behavior?

This research addressed whether upward or downward social comparisons can affect people's prosocial behavior toward the comparison targets. In this experiment, 123 undergraduates responded to cards from a standard inkblot test. Then they were randomly assigned to conditions in which they were told that their performance indicated that they were either inferior or superior to their peers on personal characteristics. A control group was given no feedback about their performance. Participants' prosocial behaviors were measured 2-days post-manipulation. Results indicated that participants in both the upward and downward comparison groups, compared with the control group, showed significantly reduced prosocial behavior. I suggest that drawing either upward or downward comparisons can make people feel competitive with the targets and thus less inclined to help them.