Investigations of the Triadic Model of Opinion Social Comparison

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Triadic Model of opinion comparison (Suls, Martin, & Wheeler, 2000) addresses how people use social comparisons to assess the appropriateness or accuracy of their opinions. The model posits that there are three major types of opinion comparison: (a) preference assessment, which is best met by comparing with others who are similar in related attributes; (b) belief assessment, which is addressed by comparison with people who have more expertise, but who also share basic underlying values; and (c) preference prediction, which is best met by comparison with another person who has already experienced the stimulus and who has a consistent history of preferences (i.e., a "proxy"). Support for the project is provided by the National Science Foundation.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Suls, J., Martin, R., & Wheeler, L. (2000). Three kinds of opinion comparison: The triadic model. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 219-237.

Wheeler, L., Martin, R., & Suls, J. (1997). The Proxy Model of social comparison for self-assessment of ability. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 1, 54-61.

Suls, J., & Wheeler, L. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of social comparison: Theory and research. New York: Kluwer.

RESEARCH GROUP

Principal Investigator
Jerry Suls

Co-Investigator
Rene Martin

Graduate Research Assistant
John Chambers

Consultant
Ladd Wheeler

Ladd Wheeler
1997
Nags Head
Social Comparison Conference

Leon Festinger
1984
30 year anniversary celebration of the publication of his theory of social comparison