Description
Revise and supplement the research paper to 8 pages. The original text is attached to the document. Very strict review, no plagiarism.
Requirements:
1. Add more influences of social comparison theory on mass communication and the influence of social comparison theory on the use of social media.
2. Changes and additions are made according to the professor’s comments and Essay writing Requirements and Guidelines.
professor’s comments：
Overall, this is an average outcome. Your journal choice stands out as a positive element. Unfortunately, your journal is lacking depth in some regards and your media and personal examples are missing each of the context levels. These and a missing cover page and lacking in-text citations are things that standout as elements that could be improved for the next paper. APA issues cost you easy points and should be addressed.
Essay writing Requirements and Guidelines:
1.You should have the following section:
1) Briefly summarize all the major sections (rationale, methods, result, and discussion) of a research article on either: Social Comparison theory. The research piece (Human experimental only) must be taken from a communication journal (or related field), be peer-reviewed, and cited using APA style (in-text and reference page). Use a library database (Academic Search Premier) to find the article. Make sure the journal is available first (in full text). This paper is not about the article, but about the theory and applying that theory.
2) Provide mass media examples of this “theory” being used. For example, if the research article you pick deals with dating and Halo Effects, this section and the following should have nothing to do with dating. Provide logical support for how the example context you pick is in line with the concepts of the theory (not the study). Don’t use examples from the research piece. The example should be taken from popular culture (books, films, commercials, billboards, Internet). i.e. you must provide enough detail about the example to make it clear how it fits the theory you pick. Make sure you address all the context levels and fully describe a “specific” context that the theory applies (Cited in APA in-text and References). Pick one context and provide a rich description!
3) Provide a specific “Personal (happened to you for real)” “interpersonal (between you and someone you are close with)” example of this theory being used. Provide logical support for how this example is in line with the concepts of the theory (not the study). Make sure you address all the context levels in that interaction. Pick “one” context and provide a rich description. Make sure you address how this context is both “personal” and “interpersonal.”
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Paper 1
The theory of focus is the Social Comparison Theory. Social comparison theory puts into
perspective the biological inclination of people to examine their skills, identity, and situation by
making comparisons to others as per the information that they receive about them. The aim of
the discussion is to offer insight to the social comparison theory by offering a brief summary of a
study linked to the theory, highlighting an example of mass media that illustrates the theory and
analyzing the theory based on personal and interpersonal examples.
An article that relates to social comparison theory is “The Effects of Instagram Use,
Social Comparison, and Self-Esteem on Social Anxiety: A Survey Study in Singapore” by Jiang
and Ngien (2020). The scholars emphasize that the use of social media platforms for various
purposes functions is an aspect that is popular across the globe. Nonetheless, the scholars
highlight the risk of people experiencing social anxiety due to the consistent engagement with
social media platforms. With that, the study aimed to examine the impact of the use of Instagram
on people’s social anxiety. The rationale that defined the relevance of conducting the study
entailed the lack of substantive research on the mediating factors concerning the association
between social anxiety and social media use; most studies have limited their scope to Facebook
in comparison to other social media platforms, and most studies limit themselves to Europe and
the USA in comparison to a place such as Singapore which has been significantly affected by
western culture. Also, the hypotheses that defined the gathering and analyzing of data were
“Instagram use will have an indirect effect on social anxiety, mediated by social comparison”
(Jiang & Ngien, 2020, p.3) and “Instagram use will have indirect effects on social anxiety,
mediated by social comparison and self-esteem” (Jiang & Ngien, 2020, p.4). A quantitative
research methodology was used to gather data whereby the scholars incorporated convenience
sampling and snowballing methods to obtain the sample population (N=388) for the crosssectional survey. As per the research findings, the use of Instagram lacked a direct impact on the
increase in social anxiety levels among its users. However, self-esteem, which functioned as the
intermediate outcome, and social comparison, which functioned as a proximal outcome, resulted
in the mediation effects. Social comparison, in this case, increased social anxiety levels and
decreased people’s self-esteem level. This is facilitated by the filters found in the platform that
enable people to modify their appearance to look more appealing (Jiang & Ngien, 2020). The
relevance of the research article is that it shows the connection between self-esteem, social
anxiety levels, and social comparison in relation to the use of social media platforms.
Social comparison theory puts into perspective the biological inclination of people to
examine their skills, identity, and situation by making comparisons to others as per the
information that they receive about them. Also, social comparison can be either upward or
downward. Upward social comparison entails a person making comparisons with people that are
perceived to be better than him or her. Downward social comparison entails a person making
comparisons with people that are perceived to be inferior to him or her. The idea of making such
comparisons is viewed to emanate from individuals’ needs to examine their individual selves.
This also includes the view that the people that are present in their surroundings daily are the
best candidates for making the comparisons. A mass media example that adequately depicts the
theory is the film, Mean Girls. The main character is Cady Heron, whose high school experience
subjects her to question her sense of worth. Most of the social groups in her high school are
defined by how the students perceive each other. Some groups are viewed to be more important
than others, an aspect that creates conflict between them. When Cady joins the school, her first
friends are Damien and Jani, who informs her about the school’s social stratification. They
mention the “plastics” group that was limited to the most popular girls in the institution, with
their defining features being good looks, appealing dressing, fancy cars, and slim bodies.
However, people such as Damien and Jani are viewed as outcasts and less cool, which is also
illustrated by their gothic dressing style and make-up. Damien and Jani, in this case, view
themselves as inferior in their comparison to the plastics.
A personal example that happened to me in relation to the social comparison theory
entailed self-doubt in my ability to adequately share my ideas with others during a group
discussion at school. This was after choking in a group’s previous presentation whereby, during
my chance to share my part of the discussion, I was unable to offer certain answers well and
even stammered a bit due to a high level of anxiety. My self-esteem decreased as a result of the
initial experience such that it was difficult to consider taking part in any group presentation
whenever I compared my public speaking abilities to the initial failure. An interpersonal example
entailed comparing myself with my group members in terms of their individual abilities to
engage in public speaking. This subjected me to upward social comparison as I viewed them to
be better than I, an aspect that increased my social anxiety levels. This relates to the theory in
terms of the ability of upward social comparison resulting in negative emotions. Nonetheless,
such a comparison can be positive when the admired features inspire one to better themselves in
order to be affiliated with a given social group. For example, the need to keep fit similarly to
some of my friends influenced me to work on my fitness routine and focus on leading a healthier
lifestyle, an aspect that has caused significant changes to both my mental and physical wellbeing.
In brief, the aim of the discussion was to demonstrate how social comparison theory has
been used in research and mass media including its relevance to one’s personal and interpersonal
lives. As per the analysis, social comparison may result in an increase in social anxiety levels and
a decrease in people’s self-esteem levels in relation to the use of social media platforms. Also,
upward social comparison can facilitate the occurrence of negative emotions.
Reference
Jiang, S., & Ngien, A. (2020). The effects of instagram use, social comparison, and self-esteem
on social anxiety: A survey study in Singapore. Social Media+ Society, 6(2),
2056305120912488.
Fey, T. (2012). Mean Girls. YouTube. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewgggaTjx9Q.
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