Effects of Social Comparisons on Emotions in Teachers

• In Event: 60.025 - Just Feeling Good? Relevance, Antecedents, and Consequences of Teachers' Positive Emotions

Abstract

Introduction.
There exists a problem amongst teachers with regards to motivation and persistence, with approximately 40% of teachers estimated to leave the teaching occupation within their first five years (Roness, 2011). Teacher emotions have been noted as important predictors of overall psychological well-being (Schimmack, 2008) and teacher burnout (Hughes 2001; Ingersoll 2002). For example, anger has been found to predict teacher attrition and lower levels of job satisfaction (Frenzel, 2009). Other studies have also shown anger to be one of the most detrimental emotions for teachers and a contributor to one’s inability to sufficiently cope with classroom challenges (i.e., self-regulation failure; Sutton, 2007). Thus, determining the causes of certain emotions are vital to understanding teacher burnout and job satisfaction.
One method to understanding teacher emotions is investigating the motivational strategies that individuals use to compensate for the impacts of negative events (Heckhausen, et al., 2010). One specific self-protective strategy previously explored are social comparisons that, according to Festinger (1954), typically involves comparing oneself with worse-off others. Upward comparisons have been associated with greater motivation (Corcoran, Crusius & Mussweiler, 2011), and are assumed to provide hope and ambition (Wood, 1989). Finally, horizontal comparisons have been indirectly examined highlighting the benefits of collective self-efficacy in older adults (Bailis & Chipperfield, 2006).
Overall, these strategies are generally underexplored in educational settings and have yet to be investigated in teachers, and this study aimed to investigate the relationship between three types of social comparisons (upward, horizontal, downward) on teacher emotions (anger, anxiety, enjoyment) experiences 6 months later.
Method.
In the spring of 2013, 526 practicing teachers were recruited via unions and school boards for a two- part, web-based study. In Phase 1, the teachers were asked to complete 6 items evaluating social comparisons (adapted from Optimization of Primary and Secondary Control, OPS; Hasse et al., 2008) on a scale of 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. Also, a 12-item, 4-point Likert measure (Frenzel, 2009) was used to assess teachers’ activity-related emotions of anger, anxiety and enjoyment (1 = strongly disagree to 4 = strongly agree). Six months later, Phase 2 was completed (N = 422) in which the initial questionnaire was again administered.
Results.
Multiple linear regressions were conducted including baseline emotion levels from Time 1 in the first step, followed by summed scores for each social comparison measure in the second step, predicting Time 2 emotions. The results showed that upward social comparisons positively predict enjoyment, and negatively predict anger, as well as anxiety. In contrast, horizontal comparisons were found to predict lower enjoyment, and higher levels of anger.
Discussion.
Overall, the present findings illustrate the importance of evaluating the types of social comparisons made by teachers as motivational strategies in highlighting the benefits of generally underexplored upward comparisons, Future research aimed at promoting a focus on role models in instruction, and at differentiating horizontal comparisons (“misery loves company”) from other, more positive socially oriented motivational constructs (e.g., collective self-esteem, relatedness, and social goals in teachers; see Butler, 2012) is recommended.

Authors

• Sonia Rahimi, McGill University

• Hui Wang, McGill University

• Nathan C. Hall, McGill University

• Rebecca Lynn Maymon, McGill University