Social Media Social Comparison Scale – Chinese Version

Description

In 1954, Festinger proposed the concept of “social comparison.” He believed that social comparison refers to individuals’ need to evaluate their own status and environment in situations where objective evaluative standards are lacking. This need generates a powerful internal drive, prompting individuals to compare themselves with others around them to acquire information about themselves and others, ultimately leading to self-confirmation (Festinger, 1954). Subsequently, scholars conducted classification studies on social comparison based on different aspects. Upward social comparison was first proposed by Wheeler (1966). Wheeler regarded this behavior as individuals comparing certain aspects of themselves with those who excel over them based on a specific evaluative standard. He viewed upward social comparison as a habit and tendency, believing it encourages individuals to perform better and fosters self-improvement. Bai Xuejun (2013) translated and revised the scale developed by Gibbons and Buunk, which includes the “Upward Social Comparison Scale.”

Authors and Contact Email

Information not available

Purpose

To assess upward social comparison behavior among university students.

Test Year

2022

Administration Method and Scoring

The scale comprises six items and adopts a five-point scoring method without any reverse-scored items. The total Cronbach’s α coefficient is 0.915, indicating excellent reliability and validity. The scoring is as follows:
1: 很不符合 (Very Disagree)
2: 较不符合 (Disagree)
3: 不确定 (Uncertain)
4: 比较符合 (Agree)
5: 完全符合 (Strongly Agree)

Reliability and Validity

The total Cronbach’s α coefficient is 0.915, indicating excellent reliability and validity of the scale.

Factors and Subscales

Information not available

Keywords

Upward social comparison, university students, reliability, validity, social media

Items in Chinese

1. 在日常生活中，我经常喜欢与那些比自己做的好的人进行比较。
2. 当我评价自己当前生活或学习情况时，我常与那些做的比我好的人进行比较。
3. 当事情变得糟糕时，我经常想到那些比我做的好的人。
4. 当我评价自己的交往能力时，我更喜欢与那些交往能力比我强的人进行比较。
5. 每当考虑自己能否胜任每件事情时，我经常将自己与比我强的人进行比较。
6. 生活中，我时常会拿自己与那些比自己成功的人进行比较。

Items in English

1. In daily life, I often like to compare myself with those who are doing better than I am.
2. When I evaluate my current life or academic situation, I often compare myself with those who are doing better than me.
3. When things go wrong, I often think of those who are doing better than I am.
4. When I assess my social skills, I prefer to compare myself with those who have stronger social skills than I do.
5. Whenever I consider if I can handle something, I often compare myself with those who are stronger than I am.
6. In life, I often compare myself with those who are more successful than I am.

References

1. 大学生上行社会比较对主观幸福感的影响. 贾玉洁.吉林大学,2022
2. 大学生社交媒体使用与社交媒体焦虑：线上社会资本和上行社会比较的中介作用. 陈文琦.西南大学,2022