Perceived Parents' Critical Comparisons and Self-Initiated Social Comparison Directions Among Chinese Middle School Students

• In Event: Sources of Stress and Strategies for Coping

Abstract

Social comparison is a common practice among students. Parents’ critical comparison (PCC), referring to parents criticizing their children by comparing them to better performing others, is also a common parenting practice in Chinese culture. This current study investigated PCC, and its relationship with middle school students’ self-initiated social comparison directions. 177 Chinese middle school students participated in the study by taking an online survey about their perceived PCC and their own social comparisons at school. Results showed that students perceiving more parents’ critical comparisons are likely to use significantly more downward comparisons and less upward comparisons themselves, while the relationship between parents’ critical comparison and students’ self-initiated downward comparisons was moderated by students’ self-efficacy and gender.

Author

• Yiwen Yang, University of Texas at Austin